Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of progress on the Cyprus peace talks; and if he will make a statement.

Since the 2017 Conference on Cyprus, the British Government has urged all parties to avoid words or actions that risk escalating tensions in the region or that could have a negative impact on the prospects for a Cyprus Settlement. We look forward to continuing to work with President Anastasiades following his re-election on 4 February, and with the Leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr Akinci, in the search for an fair and sustainable settlement. It is now for the parties to decide the way forward. The Government will encourage them to work towards a resumption of talks in the coming months and stands ready to discuss how we can support progress. Reaching agreement on the remaining issues will require tough choices and compromises but with political will, we judge a settlement is within reach.