Paphos, Cyprus. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that “when Cyprus was attacked, all of Europe was attacked” following last week’s drone strike, during a visit to Paphos’ Andreas Papandreou airbase with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
Strategic partnerships and solidarity
Macron highlighted the strategic partnership signed by the governments of Cyprus and France last December, as well as a prior agreement between France and Greece. He said the leaders’ joint appearance demonstrated the strength and robustness of these partnerships and told Christodoulides that citizens could believe in them.
He added that beyond the strategic partnership, “there exists a solidarity of nations and their armed commitment”.
French military deployments after the attack
Macron said the first objective of the trip was to show full solidarity with Cyprus, which he said was targeted last week by several drones and missile fire. He said this led France to deploy an anti-aircraft unit of Mistral missiles and to deploy the Languedoc frigate, both of which he said were deployed during the past week.
He also pointed to the arrival of the aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle, saying it is now close to Cyprus to contribute to the overall defence posture and to ensure it in the long term.
Evacuations and regional support
Macron referred to efforts to ensure the safe removal of European Union citizens from countries more directly impacted by the conflict.
He said France wanted to reiterate support for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait, with which France has defence agreements, as well as for Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, which he said have been destabilised and struck, and to which France has provided support.
Maritime security and expanded naval presence
Macron said France aims to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime safety in the eastern Mediterranean and in the Red Sea. He said the French presence unfolding from the eastern Mediterranean into the Red Sea and off Hormuz will mobilise eight frigates, two amphibious helicopter carriers, and the aircraft carrier.
He said the deployment of French naval assets will take place with contributions from several other European countries.
What do you think the expanded French naval presence will mean for security in the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea?
