Macron tells Cyprus ‘you can count on France’ after drone attack
French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed France’s support for Cyprus on Tuesday, telling President Nikos Christodoulides that the nation “can count on France and our friendship” following last week’s drone strike.
Macron made the remarks in a post on X after visiting the Andreas Papandreou air base in Paphos on Monday, where he met Christodoulides and Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“We are with you. You can count on France and our friendship,” Macron wrote in response to a message from Christodoulides thanking him for his visit and for France’s continued support for Cyprus.
Speaking during the visit, Macron said the recent attack carried wider implications for the continent.
“When Cyprus was attacked, all of Europe was attacked,” he said, stressing that the response reflected the strategic partnership between Cyprus and France and broader European solidarity.
He said France had already moved military assets into the region following the incident, including an anti aircraft unit equipped with Mistral missiles and the frigate French frigate Languedoc.
He also confirmed that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle had moved closer to Cyprus as part of the wider defence posture.
Macron said the deployment forms part of a broader French naval presence across the Levant and towards the Red Sea aimed at safeguarding maritime security and freedom of navigation.
Mitsotakis said Greece had responded immediately to the situation, remarking that Greek F-16 fighter jets and naval assets had been deployed to support Cyprus.
“Greece and Europe are expressing their solidarity with deeds, not just words,” he said.
Christodoulides described France as “a strong strategic partner of Cyprus” and thanked Greece and other European partners for their support.
He reiterated that Cyprus is not participating in military operations and continues to play a humanitarian role.
“Our position is clear. We remain part of the solution and not part of the problem,” he said.