Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Cyprus on Monday to meet with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, following escalating developments in the Middle East and recent threats to the island.
The leaders were welcomed at Paphos airport by Christodoulides and his ministers before proceeding to a joint meeting. After the summit, Macron is scheduled to depart Cyprus, while Mitsotakis and Christodoulides will inspect the F-16 Falcon fighter jets stationed at Paphos Air Base. The inspection will take place at the air base in Akrotiri, underscoring the military dimension of the visit.
The visit was coordinated last Thursday during a phone call between Mitsotakis and Macron, who discussed developments in Iran and security concerns in Cyprus. The leaders agreed that an on-site visit would send a clear message of European solidarity to the Cypriot government.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is attending the high-level meeting in Cyprus accompanied by the country’s Foreign Minister, George Gerapetritis. Mitsotakis is also accompanied by diplomatic and international affairs advisors, including Ambassador Ekaterini Nassika, international policy advisor Aristotelia Peloni, and press office director Giorgos Efthymiou.
The meeting aims to demonstrate both defensive readiness and political support, signaling that Cyprus is not alone in safeguarding its security. Greek officials emphasized that the visit and the presence of deployed defense assets, including the recently arrived frigate Belharra “Kimon”, reflect deterrence capabilities and do not imply involvement in the Middle East conflict.
