NICOSIA: A French frigate was sailing inside Cyprus' territorial waters in the context of a defence agreement between the island-nation and France amid the ongoing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said. On Wednesday, the "la Fayette" frigate sailed close to the island's eastern coast after receiving permission from the Cypriot government to train its crew in diving, before resuming patrols in the open sea, reports Xinhua news agency.
It added that the frigate would stay close to the Cypriot shores before returning to patrol duties "in the context of monitoring the eastern Mediterranean".
"The presence of the French frigate in the region is sending out a message that security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean can be achieved through such defence cooperation," Christodoulides was quoted by Cyprus's state radio as saying.
Cyprus and France signed a defence cooperation agreement in April 2018, and it came into force as of August 1, 2020. The agreement provides for cooperation between Cyprus and France in the fields of energy and maritime security, early warning and crisis management, as well as combating terrorism and piracy.
"La Fayette" was operating close to two Turkish ships being active in waters declared by Cyprus as its exclusive economic zone.
Barbaros, a survey ship, and Yavuz, a drillship prospecting for natural gas, were reportedly in an area off the eastern coast of Cyprus, after having been licensed by the Turkish Cypriot state, which is recognized only by Ankara.
The two ships were being protected by Turkish frigates. Turkey repeatedly accused France of cooperating with the Cypriot government and Greece in trying to deprive Ankara of its rights on what it considered to be its continental shelf. (IANS)