French arch stretching from the Aegean to Cyprus

There is growing evidence of a broader French plan to support Cyprus in the region but also to strengthen Greece as it tries to manage the geopolitical challenges that have accumulated in the East Med and are expected to intensify.

Part of this grand design to be a more visible influence is seen in Paris' decision to give Greece two French FREMM-type navy frigates to boost the Greek navy's capabilities as tensions rise in the Aegean and East Med.

Behind the strengthening of Greece against an aggressive and unstable Turkey, there is, of course, also the clear allied effort to exclude any possibility of expanding Russian influence beyond the Eastern Mediterranean.

Experienced observers believe that the French interest in using military facilities on Cyprus - and closer military cooperation with Nicosia - coupled with the decision on practical assistance to Greece, is not a random move.

Despite France having serious energy interests in the region, President Emmanuel Macron also wants to elevate France's profile and cultivate a more dynamic role within the EU.

Read the full story in Sunday's Greek language edition of Kathimerini Cyprus newspaper