Parliament to vote on landmark Cyprus – France defence agreement

Cyprus and France are moving closer to formalising their military partnership, with Mps set to vote on Tuesday on an agreement governing the presence and operations of their armed forces on each other’s territory. The vote comes amid growing French military activity in Cyprus including expanding joint exercises as well as plans for the acquisition of French-made military equipment. The agreement, signed in Nicosia on June 8 by Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin, establishes a legal framework governing the presence and activities of each country’s armed forces in the other’s territory. Known as a Status of Forces Agreement (Sofa), it regulates the rights and obligations of military personnel operating in either country and is intended to facilitate closer operational cooperation, joint exercises and military deployments. The ratification bill is scheduled for discussion and a final decision by the House foreign affairs committee on Tuesday. As previously reported by the Cyprus Mail, Palmas described the agreement as an important step in strengthening a defence relationship built on mutual trust and shared strategic interests. “The agreement establishes a modern and comprehensive framework for cooperation in the fields of defence and security, regulating the rights and obligations of the forces of both countries when present on each other’s territory,” he said at the signing ceremony. Vautrin, meanwhile, described Cyprus as an essential hub for French military operations in the region. “Cyprus is an essential support point for the conduct of our military operations in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East,” she said. The agreement follows the strategic partnership concluded between President Nikos Christodoulides and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in December 2025. The partnership agreement contains 10 chapters, with the first declaring that both countries will further cooperation in diplomacy, defence and security “in support of the agenda for a sovereign Europe”. It says, that both, express their deep concern regarding Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the deepening tensions in the Middle East, and ongoing instability in many parts of Africa, and at the same time have “converging interests in fostering stability in the Middle East for historic and geopolitical reasons”. The Sofa also comes against the backdrop of expanding military cooperation, including regular French naval visits to Cypriot ports, joint exercises and French support during regional security crises. A detachment from France’s 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment participated in Cyprus’ October 1 Independence Day military parade. The regiment had previously been deployed to Cyprus in March 2026. Indeed the two countries have continued to deepen their defence relationship in recent months. During a meeting in Paris last week, on the sidelines of the Euronaval defence exhibition, Palmas and Vautrin discussed operational cooperation, European defence procurement and regional security developments. Following the Paris meeting the French defence ministry also confirmed that Cyprus’ procurement plans under the EU’s Safe programme include French-made Scorpion armoured vehicles, with Vautrin thanking Cyprus for its confidence in French defence manufacturers, particularly through Safe-funded acquisitions of French military capabilities, “notably Scorpion vehicles”. The growing operational cooperation between France and Cyprus was also highlighted at the recent multinational Eunomia exercise, involving French and Cypriot forces. Tuesday’s parliamentary vote follows scrutiny of the agreement by the House foreign affairs committee, which examined its provisions as part of Cyprus’ expanding network of defence partnerships. If approved, the ratification will complete a key domestic legislative step towards implementing the agreement, providing a formal legal basis for closer military cooperation between Nicosia and Paris.