Nicosia, Jan 15 (AP) The UK will build a new communications facility on one of two bases it maintains on the eastern Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, a British Defense Ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman told the Associated Press on Friday that the purpose of the “small-scale infrastructure project” is to “modernise communications infrastructure and increase our resilience”.

Also Read | China Using its Billions to Buy Political Influence Across the World, Says Report.

The spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, gave no further details. The facility will be built at a disused site at Dhekelia Garrison on Cyprus' southeastern corner.

The UK retained the bases when Cyprus gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960.

Also Read | Hong Kong International Airport Suspends Passenger Transit Services for 150 Countries Over Omicron Variant.

The bases incorporate a large airfield at RAF Akrotiri and an important electronic intelligence gathering station at Ayios Nicolaos situated around 175 kilometers (109 miles) from Syria's Mediterranean coastline.

Britain has been keen in projecting its military strength in the region since it exited the European Union on February 1, 2020, with large naval deployments including its newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, from which cutting-edge F-35 jets operate.

British warplanes have also flown from RAF Akrotiri to assist in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)