Cyprus holds military drill with France, Italy and Greece to bolster security in east Mediterranean

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Cypriot president says joint military maneuvers with three other EU member states underway in the Eastern Mediterranean underscore the bloc’s readiness to ensure security and stability in the region. President Nikos Christodoulides said the drill with France, Italy and Greece is of “particular geostrategic significance” for the 27-member European Union and others, including the United States. He spoke on Thursday ahead of a visit to the French frigate Chevalier Paul, which is taking part in the five-day drill. He stressed the exercise is not directed against any other country — a veiled allusion to Turkey, with which Cyprus shares a violent past.