Macron to visit Cyprus, French warships deployed as war in Middle East rages
The president’s visit will demonstrate France’s solidarity with Cyprus following Iranian strikes and underscore the importance of maritime security in the region
President Emmanuel Macron will visit Cyprus on Monday, his office said, as France deploys warships to the Mediterranean following a drone attack on the island EU member days ago.
Macron will meet his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Paphos to show “solidarity” and detail moves to “strengthen security around Cyprus and in the eastern Mediterranean”, the Elysee said on Sunday.
The visit will take place as the war pitting the US and Israel against Iran is in its second week, affecting much of the Middle East.
Cyprus was targeted last week by Iranian-made drones, leading Macron to order France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean and a frigate and air defence units to Cyprus.
“This trip is intended to demonstrate France’s solidarity with Cyprus, a member state of the European Union with which we have a strategic partnership” and which was recently hit “by several drones and missile strikes”, the Elysee said.