French frigate off the coast of Protaras

The French frigate La Fayette sailed along the eastern coast of Cyprus in an area off Protaras on Tuesday.

The frigate is scheduled to stay in the area on Wednesday and is reported to be running patrols in the Eastern Mediterranean.

La Fayette took part in recent Greek and French naval exercises in an area near the island of Crete.

The ship requested permission from the defence ministry to stay in Cyprus’ seas for a day to work on diving exercises.

Last week, France and Greece announced the exercises in Athens’ waters, after Turkey said it would send a research vessel to the area.

Greece and Cyprus have been locked in a dispute with Turkey over areas thought to be rich in natural gas. Two Turkish survey vessels are in areas within the Greece and Cyprus EEZs. Turkey says it has rights over the areas in question.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.