French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Cyprus on Monday to discuss regional security, as Paris deployed warships to the Mediterranean and the US-Israel war against Iran stretched into its second week.
Macron, who landed in Paphos early Monday, met Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for talks.
European Union member Cyprus was attacked last week by Iranian-made drones, prompting Macron to send the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean, as well as a frigate and air defense units to the island nation.
Macron was scheduled to visit the Charles de Gaulle on Monday afternoon. France’s flagship is currently parked off the coast of Crete, according to the Elysée.
The Elysee has said the visit aims to show “solidarity” and detail measures to “strengthen security in Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean.”
Read moreEuropean countries to deploy military assets to Cyprus after drone attack on UK base
Macron said he had spoken with his American and Iranian counterparts on Sunday before the trip.
Macron also spoke on Monday morning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation in the Middle East and Lebanon, the Elysée said.
He had already spoken with Netanyahu last week for the first time since the summer of 2025.
During his visit to Cyprus, the French leader also discussed freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
There have been numerous attacks on the key waterway in the Gulf since the US-Israel war against Iran began on February 28.
A Cyprus government spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said Macron’s visit will allow the leaders of Cyprus, Greece and France to assess the “high level of coordination” between their nations.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
