Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Cyprus about the decision to allow the Russian military to use port facilities on that island.

We are aware of reports of recent agreements, including military agreements, between the Republic of Cyprus and Russia. It is our understanding that the military aspects represent a continuation of existing arrangements. The United Kingdom remains fully engaged on a range of security and military issues with the Republic of Cyprus.

The EU has sent a united message to Russia that its actions in Ukraine are in flagrant breach of international law, and all member states, including Cyprus, unanimously agreed to impose measures against Russia in response to these actions.