The start of the implementation of the & nbsp; Agreement for the Civilian Development of the area of the British Bases was announced today, at an event & nbsp; at the Presidential Palace, during which the President of the Republic Nikos Anastasiadis addressed a greeting. It is recalled that the & nbsp; Agreement was made on January 15, 2014 between President Anastasiadis and former United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron.
The event took place & nbsp; at 09.00 in the morning at the Presidential Palace and then was given Joint Statement of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on regulating growth in the Base Areas:
The Governments of the Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom announce the entry into force on 16 May 2022 of the bilateral Arrangement signed in 2014 on Civilian Base Development. This agreement is an important milestone in the long-standing bilateral relations. of the two States, reflecting the close cooperation and ties we have shared for more than six decades.
The completion of the negotiations and the consultation period on environmental issues marks the start of the implementation of the new Civilian Development Plan, an urban plan that will allow more development opportunities in the Base areas.
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Formed by both Governments and after consultation with environmental and business local communities, this new urban system means removing many of the existing restrictions on land and property development within the Bases. & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;
Urban zones and procedures, similar to those in the Republic of Cyprus, will be applied to the Bases from 16 May 2022, with the exception of areas related to the military needs of the Bases and security issues. The rights of all & nbsp; Landowners and property owners will continue to be provided with independent living space, while at the same time, environmentally sensitive areas will be protected.
The new policy, with the accompanying maps, will be published in their final form on May 16, 2022 and will be available to the public. From May 16, 2022, property owners will be able to apply for planning and housing permits under the new design. At the same time, for a period of four months from the publication, the public will have the right to submit objections regarding the urban areas.
The implementation of the Settlement is a testament to the commitment of the two States to honor their obligations under the Establishment Treaty and to protect the prosperity of existing and future residents, as well as property owners, in general, in the areas of the British Bases. ”
President Anastasiadis spoke about a historic agreement
In his speech, & nbsp; at the announcement ceremony of the launch of the Agreement with the United Kingdom on development at the British Bases, the President & nbsp; of the Republic Nikos & nbsp Anastasiadis stressed that & nbsp; is “a truly historic Agreement for the Republic of Cyprus and the inhabitants and owners of land and property within the borders of the Bases, but also a tangible proof of the excellent relations between Cyprus and the United Kingdom. & nbsp; An agreement reached on 15 January 2014 between Prime Minister David Cameron and his entourage and was signed by Foreign Ministers William Haik and Giannaki Kasoulidis “.
What is provided
Next The PTA stated what & nbsp; is provided for in this agreement:
First: & nbsp; For the first time since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus and the relevant Treaties of 1960, despite occasional efforts by previous Governments, the final and holistic arrangement for the development of land and property within the borders of the British Bases is achieved.
Second: & nbsp; It is also, for the first time since the founding of the Republic of Cyprus, the largest change of land use, as 80% of the territory of the British Bases, covering an area of approximately 200 square kilometers out of a total of 255, are changing status and joining in urban areas, for the benefit of 4 Municipalities and 23 Communities that fall either partially or in their entirety within the areas of the Bases.
In this context, 6,150 hectares can be used for residential, tourist, commercial, livestock and agricultural development purposes, while the rest of the area is part of protection or mild development zones.
Third: & nbsp; A long-standing and fully justified request of the affected landowners for the use and exploitation of their property in an equal and proportionate manner compared to the property owners in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, thus removing the distortions and distortions that have existed for 62 years. had experienced to date.
“From now on, property owners in the areas of the Bases will follow the procedure in force in the Republic of Cyprus in relation to both urban and building licensing and the right of free disposal by property owners to Cypriots, European citizens, but also citizens of third countries. And as is self-evident, this Agreement, the first essentially Development Plan to be implemented in the Bases, is expected to bring significant growth prospects, activities and multiplier benefits, not only for the residents who live or have property in the Bases, but and the economy and society at large, at a particularly difficult time due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “
Fourth: Which led to the conclusion and conclusion of the Agreement in question.
Regarding the individual aspects of the Agreement, relevant information on the relevant provisions and the procedures for submitting the relevant applications will be provided through the websites of the Department of Urban Planning and Housing, while citizens will be able to obtain relevant information from the Offices of the relevant District Administrations. and Community Councils and Town Halls falling within the British Base “, added the PD.
Justified time-consuming effort
I must admit, continued the PTA, & nbsp; that the whole effort to complete the Agreement from its signing on January 15, 2014 until today was time consuming, and justifiably time consuming, since the complexity of the case should not be overlooked, piles of issues that arose during the negotiations, so that we can achieve the best possible. “And this, not only because of the special status of the Bases and the environmental, military and security issues that arose, but because, as I mentioned above, it was the biggest urban change of use and development in the Republic of Cyprus.
For the sake of the sincere and constructive cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom, especially between the Ministries involved – and here I see my friend Tassos Tzionis, who had undertaken the entire negotiation on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the relevant officials. of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various Services such as the Department of Urban Planning, Land Registry, etc. – it was possible to find mutually beneficial solutions and overcome any difficulties, as the primary concern of all was the implementation of the Agreement with a view to strengthening Communities and residents and property owners located in the Bases area that will benefit as a result of this Agreement.
Once again, I would like to express my full satisfaction with the launch of the Agreement on Civilian Development in the Bases, which is a substantial and qualitative milestone in the further deepening of relations between Cyprus and the United Kingdom.
< p> A milestone that demonstrates and demonstrates in practice the enhanced framework of cooperation at bilateral and international level observed in recent years between the two countries.
Finally, I would like to once again express my warm thanks to the Government of the United Kingdom and the High Commissioner here, friend Stephen Lilly, and to the responsible Officers of the Ministries involved and their UK counterparts who have worked hard and diligently to implement the Development Plan.
< I wish the best with the new Agreement, especially in the strengthening of the relations between the two countries, but also in the effort that we make to see them reunited "Our homeland, so that an unacceptable situation ends, because today some distortions are being corrected, but there are also some that have been pending for 48 years."
