Emmanuel Macron assured that France will continue to operate as a purely defensive force in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Strait of Hormuz, following the trilateral meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Nikos Christodoulides at the Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos.

“When someone attacks Cyprus, they attack all of Europe,” Macron stressed, saying that the Cyprus issue is also a matter of concern for Paris.

“Behind the text we signed there is commitment and our military presence. We want to express full solidarity with Cyprus, which was the target of attacks and missiles. That is why we sent the Mistral air-defense system and the frigate French frigate Languedoc,” he said.

“We are planning a purely defensive force for the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. It will escort tankers and commercial cargo ships,” Macron announced, adding that this is important for the economies of countries and for the global economy. In this context, he called on other Europeans to participate.

“We immediately took solidarity measures”

“The security of all Europeans is our common interest. We immediately took solidarity measures toward Cyprus, which was attacked by multiple drones and missiles,” the French president said, noting that the frigate Languedoc and a Mistral air-defense unit have been deployed in the region.

“An important element strengthening the overall defense posture is that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its battle group are now near Cyprus. Before returning to Paris, I will go there to receive an update on the situation,” he said.

“Our mission is defensive”

The French president said that the French presence will continue in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Strait of Hormuz. “We are closely monitoring the mistake of Hezbollah to attack in Lebanon as well as the actions of Israel in response to Hezbollah’s actions,” he said.

“Our aim is for Hezbollah to stop every attack. And Israel must also stop attacks against Lebanon,” he added.

Macron also made special reference to the frigate HS Kimon, which was built at a French shipyard in Lorient and is currently in Cyprus.