Cyprus is set to direct around 800 million euros toward joint defence programmes with France, representing roughly two t...

Cyprus is set to direct around 800 million euros toward joint defence programmes with France, representing roughly two thirds of the 1.181 billion euros Cyprus can access through the EU's Security Action for Europe mechanism between 2026 and 2030. The cooperation builds on a recently signed Status of Forces Agreement between Cyprus and France, which opens the door to joint military exercises and the permanent hosting of French forces on Cypriot soil. Existing facilities at Mari are among the sites being considered for further development to support those activities. Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas, speaking ahead of a trip to Paris for a defence industry exhibition, said bilateral ties with France are expanding at both the political and military levels. He stressed that Cyprus wants its own defence industry to have a seat at the table, pushing for local companies to be brought in as partners on joint production schemes rather than left on the sidelines. The planned co-production areas cover a wide range of capabilities, including artillery shells, loitering munitions, armoured vehicles, radar systems for air and coastal defence, electronic warfare systems, and mine clearance technologies. Simerini also reported that Cyprus is working with Greece on next-generation drone systems under the same framework. The SAFE mechanism funds defence investment through EU-level borrowing at low interest rates, with repayment periods stretching up to 45 years. For Cyprus, the programme is as much about building a domestic defence industry as it is about acquiring hardware. #Cyprus #EUDefence #SAFE