NICOSIA, Sept 9 (AFP) - Cyprus accused Britain Thursday London of interfering in its internal affairs by adopting a hostile attitude towards Greek Cypriots.
Accusations of "undermining the sovereignty of the Cyprus government" came from Sotos Zakheos, permanent secretary at the foreign ministry.
"There is a continued undermining of the Cyprus Republic's position, both out in the open and behind the scenes," Zakheos told state TV.
The seemingly widening rift between Cyprus and the former colonial ruler threatens to sour relations between two EU member states that share one of the closest trade and political ties in the 25-member bloc.
Some 350,000 Cypriots live in Britain, around 40,000 Britons reside on the island and three in five tourists to Cyprus are British.
Zakheos also revealed that Cyprus was willing to see a reduction of UN peacekeeping troops on the island as long as it was the British contingent given its marching orders.
"It's an expression of the bitterness of Cypriot Hellenism and the Cyprus government over the stance of Britain," said the senior diplomat.
"We are saying that if 100 or 300 soldiers have to go -- which is the total of the British contingent -- then of those who must go we would prefer to be British."
UN experts were on the island last week conducting a review of UN peacekeeping to assess whether the 40-year-old mission needed to be dismantled.
Britain has the second largest UN contingent in the 1,200-strong force.
It is almost certain that the senior official was given government permission to stir the waters and engage is some unfriendly fire towards London.
Britain is accused of zealously trying to reward Turkish Cypriots for backing a UN reunification plan, and, in effect, punishing Greek Cypriots for rejecting it.
"This is not a picture we recognise," British High Commission spokesman Nigel Boud told AFP.
"We are EU partners with incredible strong links; we hope to work together on a huge variety of issues," he added.
Cyprus has been divided since a 1974 Greek-engineered coup in Nicosia was followed by the Turkish invasion and occupation of the island's northern third, where Ankara maintains more than 30,000 troops.
Cyprus joined the European Union on May 1 after Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected the UN peace deal ensuring a divided island entered the bloc, effectively shutting out the Turkish Cypriot north.