French President Macron Makes Historic Visit to Cyprus, Signaling Deeper Defense Ties

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, welcomes the President of the Republic of France, Mr Emmanuel Macron, who is successful Cyprus connected an authoritative visit. Credit: HADJIELIA KYRIAKOS / PIO / Republic of Cyprus

French President Emmanuel Macron made his archetypal authoritative sojourn to Cyprus connected Thursday, gathering President Nikos Christodoulides successful Nicosia for talks that some governments described arsenic a historical milestone successful bilateral relations.

The trip, the archetypal by a French caput of authorities since the state became an autarkic republic successful 1960, came days earlier an informal European Union acme successful Ayia Napa. It followed a Strategic Partnership and Action Plan that the 2 countries signed successful Paris past December.

At a associated property league astatine the Presidential Palace, Macron said that France holds heavy affection for Cyprus and that its relation is to basal firmly beside the land during hard periods. He said that bilateral ties person reached a historical precocious and that some nations program to fortify them further done vigor and infrastructure projects.

Macron’s Cyprus sojourn ends 65-year French statesmanlike absence

Christodoulides called Macron’s sojourn to Cyprus historical and noted that the French president had traveled to the land doubly successful 45 days. He said that this reflected the increasing extent and momentum of the relationship.

He besides described France arsenic 1 of his country’s steadiest and astir trusted allies and credited Macron arsenic an aboriginal advocator of European strategical autonomy, a imaginativeness helium said has since gained wide acceptance crossed the continent.

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, and the President of the Republic of France, Mr Emmanuel Macron, sojourn the French-Cypriot School. Credit: Alex MITA / PIO / Republic of Cyprus

Macron recalled a associated travel to Cyprus with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis soon aft the struggle erupted successful the Middle East. He said that the intent was to nonstop a wide awesome of solidarity.

Macron besides noted that aft an Iranian-made drone struck the island, European subject assets were deployed successful the area, including the French bearer onslaught radical attached to the craft bearer Charles de Gaulle. He said that the onslaught connected Cyprus was efficaciously an onslaught connected Europe.

Cyprus problem, Schengen bid, and vigor deals connected the table

Talks covered defence cooperation, energy, determination security, and Cyprus’s upcoming presidency of the EU Council. Christodoulides updated Macron connected efforts by the UN Secretary-General to resoluteness the Cyprus problem. Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that France has consistently backed a colony based connected UN Security Council resolutions.

Macron highlighted 2 large vigor initiatives. One is an undersea cablegram task designed to link the energy networks of Cyprus, Greece, and Israel, with French steadfast Nexans producing the cables.

The different involves earthy state reserves successful Cypriot waters, wherever French institution TotalEnergies and Italian steadfast Eni jointly clasp extraction rights successful a designated offshore block.

Christodoulides besides thanked France for backing Cyprus’s bid to articulation the Schengen Area. He told Macron that existent friends look successful hard times and that the French president holds a uniquely valued spot successful Cyprus.