French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at the presidential palace on Thursday for the first-ever official bilateral visit by a French head of state since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960.
President Macron was welcomed by President Nikos Christodoulides, as a Cypriot military guard of honour rendered honours.
The national anthems of both countries were played, after which Macron laid a wreath at the statue of the first President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios.
The two then entered the presidential palace building for a private meeting. This will be followed by expanded talks between the delegations of the two countries.
Macron's official visit to Cyprus on the sidelines of the Informal Meeting of Heads of State during Cyprus's Presidency of the Council of the EU, marks a "milestone" in bilateral relations, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said.
The visit "confirms, once again, that Cyprus and France move forward as strategic partners with a common orientation, common principles and a shared determination for meaningful co-operation, to the benefit of stability, security and peace in Europe and the wider region."
According to the spokesperson, Macron’s trip "carries particular historic significance, as it is the first official bilateral visit by a President of the French Republic since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, and confirms in the most substantive way the excellent level of relations between the two countries."
