Bases stockpiling provisions in case of a no deal Brexit

The British bases in Cyprus in addition to those in Gibraltar and the Falkland islands have stockpiled food, fuel and weapons to help face possible shortages in case of a chaotic Brexit.

According to Sky News similar measures are also being taken by military bases on British soil.

It reported that the aim of the stockpiling is to secure the supply of essentials for the armed forces in case their import becomes more difficult in the event of a no deal.

According to Sky News, the armed forces have spent around £23 million on ‘advance purchases’ of supplies.

In a statement, the defence ministry said it is customary to draw up contingency plans. “It is absolutely right for the government to ensure that we are prepared and with sufficient resources for a series of scenarios when we leave the EU,” the announcement added.

Last week, Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said that in the event the UK leaves the EU without an agreement, an interim solution would be applied for the British bases (SBA) on the island.

He said that the issue was one, among others, chosen by the EU for interim solutions to be applied in case of a hard Brexit.

He said Cyprus was in constant contact with Brussels, and depending on the results of the talks between the EU and the UK, “we are ready to manage the situation”.

He said that Cyprus favours a Brexit with an agreement, however the EU and all the member states were getting ready for a hard Brexit.

“The issue of the SBA was within the terms of reference of the deal with Britain,” said Christodoulides.

“That the negotiations were between the EU, including the Republic of Cyprus, and the British side and we ended up in this text, which has been agreed. In case there is no withdrawal agreement this text will not have any effect.”

Asked if there should be a bilateral dialogue between Cyprus and the UK, Christodoulides said: “If there is no withdrawal agreement, the EU and Britain would adopt a temporary arrangement… it would not be final settlement… until there is an agreement.”

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.