Cyprus

French presence

Consulate: Nicosia
French community: 1,130 registered
Cypriot community in France: 920 people

Visits

Visit to France by President Anastasiádis on 10 November 2022
Visit by the Minister of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, to Cyprus in September 2020 
Visit to France by President Anastasiádis on 23 July 2020
Visit to Cyprus by the Minister for the Armed Forces in March 2019
Visit to Cyprus by President Hollande on 29 January 2019
Visit to Paris by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Níkos Christodoulídis, on 7 May 2019
Visit to Cyprus by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, on 7 September 2018
Visit to Paris by President Anastasiádis on 6 November 2017 (meeting with President Macron).
Visit to Paris by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on 26 June 2017.

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

France and Cyprus concluded a cultural agreement in 1969. A letter of intent on deeper linguistic and educational cooperation was signed during the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development’s visit to Nicosia on 25 October 2016. In November 2021, the Education Ministers signed a declaration planning the strengthening of the French language’s position in the Cypriot education system, particularly through the restoration of a second compulsory modern foreign language in the last two years of secondary education. The opening of the Franco-Cypriot school (French, Greek, English) in 2012 was also a key event in our bilateral cooperation.

Scientific cooperation with Cyprus is founded on the “Zénon” Hubert Curien Partnership (PHC) which supports the funding of mobility for young researchers and diversification of Cypriot scientific exchanges.

Other cooperation

Defence relationship
Cooperation between France and Cyprus is strategic. A defence cooperation agreement was signed in April 2017 and took effect in August 2020. The French Navy takes part in regular exercises with its Cypriot counterpart, sometimes jointly with other European navies. France is also one of the leading suppliers of weaponry to Cyprus.
In September 2022, the Foreign Ministers also signed an agreement on cooperation in evacuation operations from the Middle East via Cypriot territory in the event of a crisis.