On Monday afternoon (March 9), the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, met in Paphos ahead of a trilateral meeting concerning recent developments and attacks in Cyprus.

A few hours earlier, the French president made a post on his personal account on X in Greek, stressing that “together with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, we are working for security around Cyprus, in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

“We did not want this war, but we have the responsibility to do everything in our power to protect our citizens, our economies, and to prevent an escalation in the region, in Lebanon and in the Middle East,” Macron emphasized.

The French president also pointed out that “France stands in solidarity with its friends and allies in the region, who have been targeted by missiles and drones.”

“The effective closure of sea routes is impacting the global economy. We are acting to restore freedom of navigation and ensure the security of these vital routes, particularly through the European Union’s naval operation, Operation Aspides,” he said.

In the video, Macron is seen walking alongside Mitsotakis and Christodoulides, before greeting several soldiers.

Full statement by the French president

“We did not want this war, but we have the responsibility to do everything in our power to protect our citizens, our economies, and to prevent an escalation in the region, in Lebanon and in the Middle East.

Together with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, we are working for security around Cyprus, in the Eastern Mediterranean.

France stands in solidarity with its friends and allies in the region, who have been targeted by missiles and drones.

It is also our responsibility to protect our citizens who remain in the region, including 400,000 French nationals. We are coordinating our efforts to ensure their safety and to support repatriation operations for those who wish to return.

Finally, the effective closure of sea routes is affecting the global economy. We are acting to restore freedom of navigation and ensure the security of these vital routes, particularly through the European Union’s naval operation, Aspides.

Within the framework of the French presidency of the Group of Seven, I have taken the initiative to coordinate at the level of heads of state and government in order to provide responses to the energy challenges.”