Upon an initiative by French President Emmanuel Macron, Greece, Italy and France have agreed to coordinate military deployment actions in Cyprus and the East Mediterranean Sea.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to coordinate their actions regarding the deployment of military assets to Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean, according to diplomatic sources in Paris.
They noted that Macron had taken the initiative to successively contact Mitsotakis and Meloni on the telephone, “in a spirit of European solidarity”, and that the three leaders had agreed to coordinate their actions regarding the deployment of military assets to Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean, and to work jointly to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
So far:
- Greece has deployed to Cyprus one Beharra and one MEKO frigate and 2 pairs of F-16 fighter jets.
- France is to deploy aircraft carrier “Charles De Gaulle” to the eastern Mediterranean and to Cyprus one frigate, anti-missiles and anti-drones systems.
- Italy is deploying one frigate
According to an announcement in Athens, Mitsotakis spoke with Macron on the telephone earlier on Thursday and discussed the latest developments in Iran, Cyprus and Lebanon, briefing the French president on defensive assistance Greece has extended to Cyprus.
The two leaders agreed to remain in contact and coordinate regarding developments in the wider region.
