French President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis are visiting Cyprus in a move seen as signalling support for the Republic amid heightened tensions in the region.
The visit comes one week after France and Greece decided to send military assistance aimed at protecting Cyprus from a possible attack from the east.
For Nicosia, the joint visit by the two leaders, together with the measures taken in the previous week, is viewed as a sign of the strengthened standing of the Republic of Cyprus and the result of relationships built over time at various levels.
Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said the visit is part of close coordination on developments in the region and the increased preventive measures being taken.
He said the President of the Republic remains in constant contact with leaders of European Union member states and countries in the region, particularly with the Greek government and its prime minister, with France and its president, as well as with Italy’s prime minister.
«Στο πλαίσιο αυτού του στενού συντονισμού προγραμματίζεται για αύριο ολιγόωρη επίσκεψη του Έλληνα Πρωθυπουργού και του Γάλλου Προέδρου στην Κύπρο, όπου θα έχουν την ευκαιρία να συζητήσουν με τον Πρόεδρο της Δημοκρατίας και να γίνει ανασκόπηση των περιφερειακών εξελίξεων», he said.
Letymbiotis added that the discussions will also cover the high level of coordination among the three countries, with Italy also involved through the arrival of its frigate, and the increased preventive measures taken with the assistance of these states.
Mitsotakis, who is expected to arrive first in Paphos, said in a weekly post on social media that during the past week «είδαμε πώς μετουσιώνεται έμπρακτα σε ασφάλεια και αλληλεγγύη η αναβάθμιση της εθνικής μας διπλωματίας και άμυνας των τελευταίων χρόνων».
«Μόλις η σύρραξη στη Μέση Ανατολή απείλησε και τον Ελληνισμό της Κύπρου, η Ελλάδα στάθηκε, χωρίς δεύτερη σκέψη, στο πλευρό του. Το παράδειγμά μας ακολούθησαν και άλλοι εταίροι μας, απλώνοντας ένα ευρωπαϊκό πλέγμα αεροναυτικής προστασίας γύρω από τη Μεγαλόνησο. Επιβεβαιώθηκε έτσι το αυτονόητο: όταν κινδυνεύει ευρωπαϊκό έδαφος από εξωτερικούς κινδύνους, η κοινή μας απάντηση δεν μπορεί παρά να είναι άμεση και ισχυρή», he wrote.
Sources close to the Elysee Palace said Macron’s visit to Paphos expresses France’s solidarity with Cyprus, an EU member state with which France has a strategically important agreement and which came under drone and missile attacks last week.
The same sources said the visit aims to strengthen security in the area of Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean together with European partners, with the goal of de-escalating the crisis.
They added that the visit will also allow the French president to underline the importance of freedom of navigation in the region, particularly through the EU naval operation “Aspides”.
According to the same sources, efforts will also be coordinated to ensure the safety of European citizens in dangerous areas and to support operations to repatriate them.