"I am pleased that today the Defence Ministers of Cyprus and France signed this agreement in Nicosia, further strengthening the strategic relationship and cooperation between Cyprus and France," Christodoulides posted on X.

He said the accord would deepen bilateral defence ties and contribute to the European Union's pursuit of greater strategic autonomy.

The agreement was signed in Nicosia on the sidelines of an informal meeting of European defence ministers held under Cyprus's presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Christodoulides and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron had announced during his visit to the Mediterranean island in April that the two countries were seeking to build the necessary framework for hosting French forces "for humanitarian operations in the wider Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East".

The agreement is the latest indicator of burgeoning Franco-Cypriot defence cooperation, coming amid heightened security concerns as conflicts rage across the wider region.

Macron had also visited Cyprus in March, shortly after the Mediterranean island was targeted by Iranian drones, mainly aimed at British sovereign bases.

Cyprus hosts two major British facilities on its southern coasts, known as Sovereign Base Areas.

Paris was one of the first European countries to deploy defensive military capabilities to Cyprus following the drone attacks.

Christodoulides linked Monday's accord to wider European defence ambitions, saying Nicosia and Paris were "contributing decisively to the achievement of our common European objective of the strategic autonomy of the European Union".

France has frequently used Cyprus as a staging and support point during regional crises, including evacuation and humanitarian missions linked to conflicts in the Middle East.