France and Cyprus signed an agreement on Monday June 8 governing the presence of French troops on Cypriot territory, announced Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. “I am pleased that the Defense Ministers of Cyprus and France signed this agreement in Nicosia today, further strengthening the strategic relationship and cooperation between Cyprus and France,” wrote Nikos Christodoulides in a message on X.
This so-called status of forces agreement was signed in Nicosia on the sidelines of a meeting of European ministers of the European Union organized within the framework of the Cypriot presidency of the Council of the EU. In April, during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Cyprus, the two leaders announced their desire to put in place such an agreement to allow the reception of French forces in Cyprus “for humanitarian operations in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East”.
A status of forces agreement sets out the legal framework, rights and obligations relating to the presence of foreign troops in a host country, including issues relating to relevant jurisdictions, logistics and operational arrangements. Paris and Nicosia have developed their military cooperation in recent years through the organization of joint exercises, joint defense initiatives, and broader strategic coordination on regional security issues.
Nicosia is increasingly positioning itself as a platform for humanitarian, security and crisis management operations in the Eastern Mediterranean. The French armed forces regularly use Cyprus as a deployment and support base during regional crises, particularly for evacuation and humanitarian aid missions linked to conflicts in the Middle East.
