French President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis travelled to Cyprus for an emergency trilateral meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides amid the war in Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides held a trilateral meeting on Monday at Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos, pledging European solidarity with Cyprus following last week's drone and missile strikes.
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"When Cyprus is attacked, Europe is attacked," Macron said after the meeting, which focused on the situation in the Middle East.
He said the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is very close to Cyprus and stressed France is on Cyprus' side.
The Charles de Gaulle is expected to arrive in Cypriot waters Tuesday, escorted by three frigates.
'Cyprus is not and will never be alone'
Christodoulides thanked Greece for dispatching frigates and fighters to Cyprus and France for its support. He also thanked Italy and Spain, saying the presence of European powers in the region reinforces stability.
"The security of Cyprus means the security of Europe, it means collective responsibility," Christodoulides said. He added that Cyprus remains committed to its humanitarian role and is not involved in military operations.
Mitsotakis said Greece had made the security of Cyprus a "national priority" from the beginning. "The Republic of Cyprus is not and will never be alone," he said, thanking Macron for his presence and immediate response.
The Greek prime minister said the reinforcement of Cyprus reflects "the essence of the mutual defence clause" and stressed that European moves are "purely defensive, far from any military engagement".
Mitsotakis also raised concerns about freedom of navigation and asked other Europeans to reinforce Operation Shields with waterborne assets.
Macron said France's presence will continue in the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, prioritising protection of French and European citizens and energy security.
The French president also expressed concern about Lebanon.
"Hezbollah must stop the strikes so that Israel can stop them," Macron said, adding he had spoken several times with President Joseph Aoun and expressing solidarity with the Lebanese people.