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French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit Cyprus before the end of the year in what’s being described as a landmark visit set to boost ties between the two countries, the Cypriot presidency said Friday.
The announcement followed a meeting in Nicosia between President Nikos Christodoulides and visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. The visit, officials say, will be Macron’s first-ever official bilateral trip to the Republic of Cyprus.
“It will be of exceptional importance,” said government spokesman Victoras Papadopoulos in a written statement, noting that the visit will further strengthen what he called the “already excellent relations” between the two countries.
Macron’s expected visit comes as France and Cyprus move to finalize an upgraded strategic agreement aimed at deepening cooperation across multiple areas, including defense, infrastructure, and regional diplomacy, both bilaterally and within the EU framework.
During Friday’s meeting, the two sides also discussed preparations for Cyprus’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026, with Christodoulides emphasizing that one of Nicosia’s top goals will be to bring the EU closer to the Middle East and the Gulf region.
Regional developments were also on the agenda, with both leaders underlining the need for the EU to play a stronger role in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially at a time of rising tensions and shifting alliances.
On the Cyprus problem, Christodoulides briefed the French minister on the latest efforts to restart stalled peace talks following an informal UN-hosted meeting in New York earlier this month. The president reaffirmed his commitment to resuming negotiations based on the agreed UN framework and from where they left off in 2017.
He also welcomed the appointment of a Special Envoy from the European Commission to help support the UN-led peace efforts, while stressing France’s unique role as the only EU member state with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Barrot, for his part, reiterated France’s full backing for the resumption of talks, saying any future settlement should respect UN resolutions as well as EU principles and law.
