French President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis traveled to Cyprus for an emergency trilateral meeting with President Christodoulides amid the war in Iran.
After almost an hour, the trilateral meeting between French president Macron, Greek Prime minister Mitsotakis and Cyprus President Christodoulides in Paphos, a city on the southwest coast of Cyprus was concluded. The three leaders discussed behind closed doors in a special room at Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos. The focus was of course on the situation in the Middle East.
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Christodoulides: 'The security of Cyprus means the security of Europe'
"Your presence, apart from its high symbolism, is of essential importance for Cyprus, Europe and the EU as a whole", the President of Cyprus said, thanking both Emmanuel Macron and Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
"The security of Cyprus means the security of Europe, it means collective responsibility", Nicos Christodoulides said.
The Cypriot president warmly thanked Mitsotakis for his immediate response and the dispatch of frigates and fighters to Cyprus as well as Macron for the French support.
Christodoulides also thanked Italy and Spain, saying that the presence of European powers in the region reinforces stability in a very difficult situation.
"Whatever happens in the Middle East has a direct impact and affects Europe," the Cypriot president noted, adding that "this is why the EU must engage more with the wider region in order to strengthen security."
"We are not involved in military operations. We remain committed to the humanitarian role which we have served all this time as part of the solution and never as part of the problem," Christodoulides underlined once again, referring to the US-Israeli military conflict with Iran.
Emmanuel Macron: 'When Cyprus is attacked, Europe is attacked'
"We express our full solidarity with Cyprus, which was targeted last week with drones and missiles," the French president noted and commented on the Greek frigates and especially the French-built Kimon, saying they show "our strategic relationship (...) when Cyprus is attacked, Europe is attacked",
Emmanuel Macron informed that the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is very close to Cyprus and stressed that France is on Cyprus' side. The French president also referred to the importance of protecting maritime trade in the midst of war through what he called a "defensive mission".
"The situation is also extremely worrying in Lebanon. Hezbollah must stop the strikes so that Israel can stop them. I have spoken several times with President Aoun and I want to express my solidarity with the Lebanese people," Macron said. The French president stressed that the French presence will continue to exist in the Mediterranean, the Persian and the Straits of Hormuz, bringing energy security to the forefront, in addition to the priority which he said is "the protection of French and European citizens."
Mitsotakis: 'The Republic of Cyprus is not and will never be alone'
Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted that from the very beginning he had made the security of Cyprus a "national priority", saying first that the message sent by the presence of the three leaders in Paphos is that "the Republic of Cyprus is not and will never be alone".
The Greek Prime Minister thanked Emmanuel Macron for his presence in Paphos and of course for his immediate response to the need for military support for Cyprus.
"This practical solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus reflects the essence of the mutual defence clause," Mitsotakis stressed, saying that "Europe remains a responsible power" and that in practice this reinforcement of Cyprus updates the mutual defence clause.
"Our moves are purely defensive, far from any military engagement", he clarified.
The Greek Prime Minister then referred to the freedom of navigation, which is of great concern to Greece and Cyprus, speaking about the European operation Shields, while he asked the "other Europeans to reinforce the operation with waterborne means".
The Greek Prime Minister also addressed the Cypriot people directly, saying "our brothers and sisters we would be here alone, but Europe shows and will show its practical solidarity with Cyprus".
Kyriakos Mitsotakis landed in Cyprus shortly after 12.45 Greek and Cyprus time for the trilateral meeting with the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christoudoulides, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
At the Andreas Papandreou base in Paphos, the Greek Prime Minister, arriving with Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, was received by Nicos Christodoulides.
The two leaders also witnessed the arrival of Emmanuel Macron in Paphos a few minutes later (12.56), with Nicos Christodoulides welcoming him and the two leaders embracing.
Meanwhile, the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle is expected to arrive in Cypriot waters on Tuesday, escorted by three frigates.