NICOSIA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The visit by Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades to Paris and his talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday has proved to be a turning point in relations between the two countries, government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said on Tuesday.
Christodoulides singled out the issues of energy and defense, as well as France's support for the re-launching of the Cyprus reunification negotiations once the Cypriot government makes a request.
Christodoulides said it was particularly important that Macron said that the French government was behind energy giant Total, which is scheduled to start drilling in a block in the Cypriot exclusive offshore economic zone early in 2018.
Anastasiades said in an interview published in the French daily Le Figaro on Tuesday that Total would move ahead with plans to drill in Block 6.
Italian Eni was awarded the right in December 2016 to be operator of Block 6 with a 50-percent stake in partnership with Total.
Christodoulides also said the French navy was interested in making more use of naval facilities in Cyprus, once the Mari naval base on the south coast of Cyprus was upgraded.
He added that the Cypriot government was planning big improvements of the port facilities there.
