A historic trilateral summit takes place today in Paphos, with the leaders of Cyprus, France and Greece gathering to bolster the island’s security.
President Christodoulides is hosting Emmanuel Macron and Kyriakos Mitsotakis one week after both countries dispatched military assistance to protect Cyprus following drone attacks on the British bases.
The arrival of the two leaders sends an unmistakable message of solidarity. The air-naval protective shield around the island is being reinforced, and an Italian frigate has joined the defence network.
Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis stressed that the visit is part of the close coordination on regional developments. An overview of heightened preventive measures and the steps taken in cooperation with partners will be discussed.
“The moment the Middle East conflict threatened Cypriot Hellenism, Greece stood by without a second thought,” Mitsotakis noted, adding that European solidarity had been confirmed.
From the French side, Élysée circles underlined that the visit expresses solidarity with an EU member state that came under attack. The goals remain de-escalation and freedom of navigation through the “Aspides” operation.
Nicosia regards today’s trilateral as an upgrade of the Republic of Cyprus’s international standing — the fruit of years of diplomatic relations at every level.
