Paris: Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides held a meeting with France's President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, according to Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis. In a post on X, Letymbiotis stated that a private meeting between the two leaders was taking place in Paris, underscoring the robust cooperation between Cyprus and France.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the meeting highlights the comprehensive coordination and political engagement that has developed between the two countries' leaderships on European, regional, and international matters. The encounter was scheduled in conjunction with the inauguration of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union exhibition at the National Library of France, attended by both Presidents.
President Christodoulides was slated to inaugurate two exhibitions showcasing Cyprus' cultural heritage and its connections with the French Republic and Europe, one at the Louvre and the other at the National Library of France. The Louvre Museum announced that its Department of Near Eastern Antiquities is featuring 16 pieces on loan from the Department of Antiquities in Cyprus, enhanced by a digital experience.
The museum detailed that, with notable Cypriot artworks like picrolite idols from the Troodos Mountains and an inscribed copper ingot from Enkomi, visitors can explore the island's production, trade, and cultural exchanges during the Chalcolithic period and Bronze Age. The Louvre also highlighted the presence of significant votive sculptures and recent research on the 'Great Goddess'.
The exhibition at the Louvre is part of a collaborative effort with the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus, the University of Cyprus, and CYENS, and will be open until June 22, 2026. Meanwhile, the National Library of France's exhibition, running until June 14, 2026, celebrates Cyprus' historical ties with France and Europe, featuring a rich collection of antiquities, manuscripts, and artworks.
The exhibition at the National Library of France emphasizes Cyprus' journey from antiquity through various historical periods, with a focus on its Byzantine heritage, and includes significant contributions from the Cultural Foundation of the Bank of Cyprus and the Church of Panagia Faneromeni in Lefkosia. The BnF's Cypriot collections, coins, maps, and 19th-century artworks underscore Cyprus' enduring cultural identity.