Cyprus and France signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in Nicosia on Monday, setting a framework for how each country’s military forces operate when they are on the other’s territory.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Nicosia by Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas and French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin.
Palmas said the agreement establishes a modern framework for cooperation in defence and security, regulating the rights and obligations of the two countries’ forces when they are present on each other’s territory.
He said the upgraded cooperation with France gives the Republic of Cyprus greater strategic depth and strengthens its role as a pillar of stability in the eastern Mediterranean.
Vautrin assured Cyprus of France’s unwavering solidarity whenever the island’s interests and security are threatened.
A Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, sets out the legal rules governing the presence of one country’s military personnel on another’s territory. Such agreements usually cover issues including jurisdiction over personnel, customs procedures, tax arrangements, logistics access and transit rights, and do not by themselves amount to a military alliance.
Government sources had previously told Phileleftheros that the Cyprus-France SOFA defines the terms under which French forces can be stationed, train or operate in Cyprus while respecting national sovereignty. They said it covers military coordination and interoperability, defence technology and procurement, joint exercises, strategic dialogue, personnel exchanges and legal arrangements for forces operating on each other’s territory.
The agreement is reciprocal and also provides a framework for Cypriot personnel training in France or serving on French naval vessels. French naval expertise is already contributing to the planning and design of Cyprus’s Mari naval base, with cooperation expected to deepen as the base is upgraded.
The SOFA builds on the strategic partnership signed in Paris last December by President Nikos Christodoulides and French President Emmanuel Macron, which set out cooperation across defence, energy, security, innovation and education, with an action plan running from 2026 to 2030.
Macron’s visit to Nicosia was the first by a French head of state to Cyprus and came at what officials described as a high point in bilateral relations.
The Turkish Cypriot administration in the occupied north has rejected the agreement as null and void, arguing that it alters the balance of power on the island, disregards Turkish Cypriot rights and creates grounds for regional tension.
The occupied north has also argued that the Republic of Cyprus lacks the authority to conclude such an agreement on behalf of the island as a whole. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman questioned whether a solution to the Cyprus problem could be reached while Turkish Cypriots are excluded from key decisions, while the north’s “prime minister”, Unal Ustel, called the arrangement dangerous and provocative.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish forces invaded and occupied the north after a Greek-backed coup. The Republic of Cyprus is internationally recognised, while the Turkish Cypriot administration in the north is recognised only by Turkey.
Vautrin said Cyprus is a key base for France’s military operations in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, with the ports of Larnaca and Limassol hosting about 30 French ships each year, including 21 since January 1.
The French minister said cooperation between the two countries’ naval forces is strong, with regular joint training through exercises such as Argonaut and Eunomia.
She said cooperation also extends to land operations, referring to the recent visit of the amphibious helicopter carrier Tonnerre, and to the air sector, where Cypriot infrastructure supports French logistics, surveillance and air defence needs.
Palmas said his meeting with Vautrin reaffirmed long-standing ties between Cyprus and France, based on mutual trust and shared objectives.
He said the two countries coordinate on regional security issues and have developed strategic partnerships in defence and security, including cooperation on defence systems procurement and their joint participation in the quadrilateral cooperation mechanism with Greece and Italy.
The two ministers also reviewed developments in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Palmas said he again thanked Vautrin for France’s immediate response and the dispatch of forces within Cyprus’s territorial waters during the regional crisis last March.
Vautrin said France supports the modernisation of Cyprus’s armed forces and that Monday’s discussions focused on that issue.
France and Cyprus share a common vision for European defence centred on strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy, she said.
Vautrin said that on March 3, a French navy frigate began a mission to support the island’s air defence, while a French naval air group, together with Dutch, Spanish and Italian frigates, was deployed in the eastern Mediterranean to ensure Cyprus’s defence.
“This is proof of what European defence means,” Vautrin said.
She said the SOFA agreement would simplify cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces.
“This agreement is not an end in itself; it is a step towards strengthening military cooperation between our two countries,” Vautrin said.
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