London, Thanasis Gavos

The developments in Syria and what they might signal for the region will be high on the agenda of the British Prime Minister’s contacts Keir Starmer in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Cyprus.

The highlight of the trip, which was planned before his dramatic fall Bashar al-Assadconcerned mainly trade ties and investments in the countries of the Persian Gulf, but also cooperation in the field of security in the Middle East and SE Mediterranean.

However, upon arriving in Abu Dhabi, Mr. Starmer was asked about the developments in Damascus and commented that “it is very good for the Syrian people that Assad and his barbaric regime have gone”, adding that it must now be ensured that “the rejection of terrorism and violence”.

And he repeated the official statement of Downing Street a little earlier that emphasized the need for a political solution in Syria to restore peace and stability. The statement described the developments in Syria as “unprecedented” and said Britain was closely monitoring the situation and talking to its allies in the region.

The matter is expected to be discussed on Tuesday also with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christououlides, whose government had received the praises of Mr. Starmer during the October Downing Street meeting on the initiatives and response to the consequences of the conflicts in the Middle East, such as the Amalthia and Hestia plans.

As reported by a diplomatic source in London, Starmer’s visit to Cyprus, the first official for bilateral contacts by a Prime Minister of the United States. Vassiliou since 1971, proves how important is now considered the role that Cyprus has claimed and assumed in the region, in a period of intense instability.

The British side highlights the opportunity for further talks on deepening bilateral cooperation in defense and security, education, research and culture, trade and investment, energy.

The Cyprus issue will also be on the agenda of the talks between the two leaders and soon after among the enlarged delegations. British officials and Mr. Stormers have declared that the U. Vasileio is willing and ready to perform the role assigned to it as a guarantor force and to respond to the call of G.G. of the United Nations for an expanded meeting with the guarantor powers.

London reaffirms at every opportunity the commitment to support the efforts of Antonio Guterres to restart the talks and to seek a solution within the existing parameters of the UN, on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality.

The position was repeated during last week’s Downing Street meeting between Starmer and Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Other issues of particular concern to the British government and which have been placed on the agenda of the trip to Cyprus are immigration, the prospect of war in Ukraine and the attempt to re-approach the EU, with London asking its closest European allies, such as Cyprus and Greece, to support this effort.

Before leaving for London, Keir Starmer will also meet with British soldiers who will be serving at the bases over Christmas and who are serving in a period of prolonged readiness due to the ongoing developments and upheavals in the Middle East.

In the first ever meeting on Monday, with the President of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mr. Starmer will discuss beyond regional developments and how bilateral trade, which is already estimated at £23 billion a year, can grow.

A similar discussion will take place later in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The volume of bilateral trade is estimated at at least 17 billion pounds per year.

Downing Street has already announced collaborations between the two countries in the field of green energy and technology. A standout is the deal to start the first commercial production of carbon fiber with graphene, a collaboration between a research center in Manchester and the manufacturing giant NEOM in Saudi Arabia.

The scheme will create over a thousand jobs in NW England and raise hundreds of millions of pounds in investment.