Greece, Israel and Cyprus are examining the further strengthening of their tripartite defense coordination in accordance with the joint declaration of Mr. Mitsotakis, Mr. Bennett and Mr. Anastasiadis. It includes strategic dialogue, military and defense-industrial cooperation,
The tripartite declaration reiterates the agreement on cooperation in all areas from pandemic, climate change, migration and energy. The three leaders express their full support for the settlement of the Cyprus issue on the basis of the decisions of the United Nations Security Council.
Israel, Greece and Cyprus consider the energy sector, and in particular natural gas and renewable energy sources, as a solid foundation for cooperation in the region, based on international law, including the law of the sea and respect for all states to exercise their sovereign rights in the EEZ / continental shelf.
The three sides express the importance of respecting sovereignty and sovereign rights in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea and maintaining stability in the region.
Mr. Mitsotakis, Mr. Anastasiadis and Mr. Bennett agreed that the next tripartite meeting will take place in Cyprus in the second half of 2022.
The Joint Declaration of the Tripartite Summit (unofficial translation)
“We, Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, and Nikos Anastasiadis, President of the Republic of Cyprus, meeting in Jerusalem today, December 7, 2021, agreed to strengthen cooperation between our countries. , to promote common interests and work together for the peace, stability, security and prosperity of our nations, in the Mediterranean and beyond.
The tripartite cooperation between Israel, Greece and Cyprus represents a center of common interests connecting Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Our common values provide a solid and lasting basis for our partnership, in accordance with the fundamental principles of international law. We welcome the appointment of the Permanent Secretary of the Permanent Secretariat for the Tripartite Mechanisms, which will contribute to better coordination in our various areas of cooperation and will further strengthen our ties.
The Abrahamic Covenants represent a unique historical change in the region and offer a unique opportunity to strengthen our relations with the Gulf countries and North Africa. To this end, we welcome the first of the Paphos meetings that took place last April with the participation of the UAE and we are committed to expanding the scope of our cooperation to everyone and all stakeholders who share the same beliefs and goals. A diplomacy that builds bridges is what we need now and we are determined to achieve it.
This partnership has the potential to create a new coalition based on common goals for regional stability to address the challenge of radicalism and the promotion of economic interests. The “3 + 1” framework for cooperation with the United States demonstrates the importance we attach to the role of the United States in the Eastern Mediterranean. We look forward to intensifying our cooperation with the United States to plan for the United States to participate, at the appropriate political level, in one of our next meetings in line with the letter and spirit of strong United States support for our partnership. .
We are thinking of strengthening our tripartite defense coordination, which includes strategic dialogue, military and defense-industrial cooperation.
We express our full and unwavering support for the ongoing negotiation process, under the auspices of the United Nations Good Services Mission, for a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem, based on international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. Such a solution, which will reunite the island, based on respect for the democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots, will not only benefit the people of Cyprus as a whole, but will also contribute significantly to peace and stability. of the region, through the independent foreign policy of Cyprus.
We strongly and unequivocally condemn all forms of terrorism, as well as incitement to violence, and call on the international community to work together to reduce the movement of terrorists and foreign fighters, to limit aid to terrorist entities and to combat the spread of extremism. We are concerned about regional providers who provide and fund mercenaries in various conflict theaters. The proliferation of precision-guided weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and cruise missiles is a dangerous development that we are determined to address. At the same time, we emphasize the importance of combating the financing of terrorism.
Our countries continue to face the challenge of the COVID-19 virus. We emphasize the importance of knowledge sharing, know-how, best practices and technology, and are committed to helping each other overcome the effects of the pandemic and to strengthen our cooperation in this area so that we can be better prepared for future challenges of this magnitude. of health.
Israel, Greece and Cyprus consider the energy sector, and in particular natural gas and renewable energy sources, as a solid basis for cooperation in the region, on the basis of international law, including the Law of the Sea and respect for human rights. all States to exercise their sovereign rights in their EEZ / continental shelf. We emphasize the importance of respecting sovereignty and sovereign rights in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea and preserving stability in this region.
As part of our energy cooperation, we discussed the economic role of gas in our region and the EastMed pipeline project. We reaffirm our support for all projects of common interest.
The EastMed Gas Forum, which will be chaired by Cyprus on January 1, 2022, is a great opportunity for cooperation and dialogue for those interested in the region. The Forum relies on the region’s natural resources to turn hydrocarbon reserves into a catalyst for regional stability and prosperity and to promote collective action to address common environmental challenges.
We agree to work closely to strengthen our cooperation in tackling the challenges of climate change through joint projects in the areas of innovative technology solutions, research and development (R&D), and renewable energy sources. We will continue to work together to promote energy and electricity interconnection between our countries through the Euro-Asia Interconnector interconnection project, including the transfer of energy from renewable energy sources, in line with the results of the recent COP26 summit and in preparation for COP27 to be held in Egypt. We recognize the importance of regional co-operation in the fields of environmental protection and reaffirm our commitment to further strengthen our co-operation on common environmental challenges, with particular sensitivity to water and wastewater management and the protection of the marine and coastal environment.
Due to the immediate impact of climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East, we express our willingness to cooperate in relevant regional initiatives, including through the Cyprus Initiative for the Coordination of Climate Change Action in the Middle East and the Middle East. .
We renew our commitment to strengthen our co-operation in the field of emergency preparedness and response. In this regard, we have decided to set up a working group on these issues.
We reaffirm our firm commitment to strengthening EU-Israel relations. We emphasize the need to promote cooperation under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, and the immediate convening of the EU-Israel Association Council.
The ongoing unrest in our region has triggered unprecedented migratory flows that pose challenges and can only be addressed through multilateral, multifaceted action.
We are convinced of the need for our tripartite cooperation and we will continue to work closely to make full use of all the opportunities for the benefit of our countries and peoples, as well as the wider region.
The three leaders agreed that the next Tripartite Summit will be held in Cyprus in the second half of 2022 “.
Meetings with Mitsotaki with Bennett, Herzog
Kyriakos Mitsotakis met today in Jerusalem with the Prime Minister of Israel, on the sidelines of the Tripartite Summit, as well as with the President of Israel Isaac Herzog.
During the meeting with Mr. Bennett, the first between the two leaders, the strategic relationship between Greece and Israel was reviewed, while ways to further strengthen cooperation in areas such as investment, energy, pandemic and defense were discussed.
The two Prime Ministers pointed out that the tripartite cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus contributes substantially to peace, stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean. They also examined the latest developments in the region, with an emphasis on Turkey’s destabilizing behavior.
Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Benetsyziz also discussed the perspective of the 3 + 1 scheme and ways to intensify cooperation with the United States, as well as the possibility of cooperation with other countries in the region that have the political will to promote security, stability. and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Prime Minister thanked Israel for the immediate assistance to Greece in dealing with the fires, last summer, while noting the importance of cooperation and collective use of means and opportunities in cases of natural disasters.
After the completion of the work of the Tripartite Summit, Mr. Mitsotakis went to the Presidential Palace where he had a meeting with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog.
The Prime Minister and the President of Israel reaffirmed the extremely high level of relations between the two countries and the constructive cooperation they have as democracies with a long historical path in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis briefed Mr. Herzog on the performance of the Greek economy and on the government reforms that have changed the image of Greece and the business environment, turning it into an attractive tourist destination and an attractive investment destination, especially in the field of high technology.
At the beginning of the meeting at the Presidential Palace, Mr. Herzog presented to the Prime Minister a photograph of Konstantinos Mitsotakis with Chaim Herzog, former President of Israel (1983-1993) and father of the current President.
“It is a beautiful photo from your father’s visit to the residence of the President of Israel in 1992. Your father and my father are depicted, and they are both now in paradise,” said Isaac Herzog. Kyriakos Mitsotakis warmly thanked Mr. Herzog for the kind gesture.
Both referred to the decision taken in 1990, during the Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis, for the recognition of the state of Israel by Greece and how this action, which was a turning point in Greek politics, led to the rapid improvement of Greek-Israeli relations since then. .
“I remember that my father kept his commitment to the recognition of the state of Israel, if I remember correctly, 10 days after he was sworn in,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with Mr. Herzog emphasizing that this move “was a very big, positive change, for the relations between the two states “.
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