Cyprus' defense minister Christoforos Fokaides, right, walks with his French counterpart Florence Parly at the joint rescue coordination center inside the airport in southern costal city of Larnaca, Monday, July 17, 2017. Parly is in Cyprus for one-day visit during her tour in the eastern Mediterranean region. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

French, Cypriot defence ministers talk security, drilling

NICOSIA, Cyprus – French Defence Minister Florence Parly and her Cypriot counterpart Christoforos Fokaides have discussed the ongoing fight against extremism and ways of bolstering security in the eastern Mediterranean.

A statement said Parly’s stopover in Cyprus Monday on her way to Jordan was part of her first visit to French forces deployed overseas in the sensitive region. Parly earlier visited the French Navy frigate Langeudoc which is operating in the area.

The statement said talks centred on the international coalition’s combat operations in Iraq and Syria as well as ways of strengthening Europe’s defence.

Fokaides said he also briefed Parly on exploratory oil and gas drilling that a consortium of France’s Total and Italy’s Eni is now carrying out 104 miles (167 kilometres) off Cyprus’ south coast.

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