By Antonis Elia Kasapi
Undoubtedly the marginal decision of the British people to leave the EU is a sad development for Cyprus.
Especially for those of us who, as young refugees, received the hospitality and kindness of the British people after 1974, studied in UK Universities, received professional training and qualifications recognised worldwide, enjoyed Fish n’ Chips, followed English football, made lots of British friends and, for some, married to British spouses, it is very sad news.
Despite the many bad things that most Cypriots say about our relationship with the UK, it is undoubted that almost everything good that happened to Cyprus in the last 138 years was because of the close relationship we had with the UK.
The Cypriots who excelled internationally were those that were educated or trained in the UK. Britain enabled the Cypriots to outgrow their beautiful but tormented small island in the Mediterranean, and to succeed at an international level, from Nobel laurate, to very successful doctors, to world famous singers, successful businessmen, and thousands of University Graduates and professionally qualified persons, helping Cyprus and its economy.
Cyprus has enjoyed a good economy for a long time mainly because of the ability of its people to speak English and to communicate internationally.
This is not to be taken as against our own origin or mother tongue or culture. These are our foundations and we should be proud of them, protect them and pass them to the next generations. But we should not enclave ourselves within them and reject the benefits of being able to understand and communicate with the international world. We should also be successful internationally, and this we can do by continuing to utilise our special relationship with the UK. There are almost as many Cypriots living in England as there are in Cyprus. We should ensure that we do all that is needed in order to continue, and even to strengthen the special relationship, connection and cooperation between us and the UK, even if we will continue to be a loyal member of the EU and the UK will be out.
I am glad to see that our Government has already started working in the right direction, and I expect that the UK will respond positively, as no doubt they will not want to be completely isolated.
We want to be good Cypriots, good Europeans and also continue to maintain a close special relationship with the UK.
