The Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet in north London Theresa Villiers has used the occasion of a House of Commons session with questions on foreign policy to reiterate her position in favour of ending the guarantees system in Cyprus.

Ms Villiers asked the Minister for Europe Sir Alan Duncan whether the UK Government would give to the other guarantor powers, namely Turkey and Greece, the advice that they should take the British approach towards the guarantees system; that is that they should not be pressing to retain their status as guarantor powers.

Greece has made it clear that it wants the termination of the “anachronistic” system.

Sir Alan replied by saying that the UK remains “very flexible as a facilitator along with the UN to try and bring about a unified Cyprus.”

In the same response, the Minister for Europe added: “One thing of course that will remain are our Sovereign Base Areas and they are not subject to the negotiation, except of course in terms of some territory that we might cede if that were to help.”

At the beginning of the brief discussion on Cyprus, Sir Alan said: “Following the collapse of the Cyprus talks in Switzerland in Crans Montana in July, there has inevitably been a pause in any further negotiations. We are encouraging all parties to reflect on any steps they might now take towards having constructive talks in the future.”

The Labour MP for Liverpool Walton Dan Carden, urged the Foreign Office to continue to work towards a settlement putting human rights of all Cypriots at the top of the agenda. He also expressed disappointment at the outcome of the negotiations, although he commented that “they seem to have made more progress than any time previously.”

The minister said that everyone shared the disappointment in the collapse of these talks. He agreed that they were as close as they have ever been “perhaps for decades” in reaching a settlement. “I think getting a unified Cyprus is the principal objective of these talks, of which of course human rights will play their proper part,” added Sir Alan.

He had earlier responded to a written question by north London Labour MP Catherine West on what recent discussions have been held with counterparts in Cyprus and the UN.

The Minister for Europe had replied that Foreign Office officials regularly discuss how the UK can work towards a just and lasting settlement with their Cypriot and UN counterparts. “We are urging all sides to take time to reflect calmly on the outcome of the talks and in the meantime to refrain from rhetoric or actions that limit the possibility of future talks towards a settlement. The Government will continue to work to support a settlement in Cyprus that will benefit all Cypriots,” Sir Alan had added.

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