Developments in energy, in relation to the situation in the Mediterranean and the Cypriot were the two main topics of discussion at the Greece-Cyprus-Israel tripartite meeting.

The foreign minister Nikos Dendias he stated upon his arrival that “in the framework of the excellent bilateral relations, Greece and Cyprus continue our close cooperation and coordination, among other things, to promote peace and stability in the region. A fair and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue, on the basis of the UN Resolutions, is a top priority of Greek foreign policy”.

The Greek Foreign Minister continued, saying: “We condemn the attacks on Israel. We talked about joint steps in the future. Energy, terrorism. Energy was one of the items on the agenda. I had the opportunity to underline that Greece is turning into an energy hub by divesting both its own and the entire gas and electricity supply region. And in this respect, Cyprus and Israel are our close partners and important players in the region.

We welcome the memorandum of understanding signed between the EU – Egypt and Israel in the presence of the Republic of Cyprus. It shows that the Eastern Mediterranean plays an important role. We talked about the East MED pipeline and the strategic importance of the Eurasian interconnector between Greece, Cyprus and Israel.

Regarding the challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, a stable environment is needed through dialogue and cooperation. The Eastern Mediterranean Natural Gas Forum is an excellent example of how the members involved are using energy as a catalyst for peace and a catalyst for cooperation. We are also open to new members such as Turkey. Of course under fundamental conditions, such as respect for International Law.

We strongly support the 3+1 of Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the USA. We discussed in depth the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Cyprus issue. For Greece it is a matter of high priority. We support Cyprus for a bi-zonal bi-communal solution.

We discussed the situation in Turkey. In the earthquakes as we knew we stood and will stand with solidarity and this is not related to any geopolitical agenda. It is a gesture based on humanitarian reasons at a time of enormous difficulties faced by a neighbor.

Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, as you know, we are experiencing a calm period. Of course, we know very well that things do not change overnight. We discussed the situation in Libya. To return to normality. To hold free elections. We discussed violence in the Middle East and de-escalation. Greece welcomes the Israel-EU political dialogue after 6 years”.

Cypriot Foreign Minister: Eurasian interconnector and EastMED are strategic options on our agenda

The Cypriot Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos, for his part, said: “We discussed energy, defense and entrepreneurship issues. It is without a doubt a defense alliance that shares the same values. Stability and security in our region and beyond. We agreed on the next steps and the 9 points at the leaders’ meeting. There is the Russian invasion. Communication is needed for diplomatic effectiveness. We want a mechanism for security in the Eastern Mediterranean. We also discussed 3+1. We discussed our energy cooperation. To be game changers. Eurasian interconnector and EastMED are strategic options on our agenda. We mentioned the terrorist attacks in Israel. I discussed the Cyprus issue with my counterparts.”

Israeli Foreign Minister: We thank the Greek secret services

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said for his part: “Relations between the three countries are mutual and growing. Tripartite is important to us for strategic reasons for the stability of the region. Israel’s position in relation to the Cyprus issue is the same. We support negotiations. Israel underlines the importance of the countries’ energy cooperation. There is room for cooperation in renewables. Israel is indebted to the Greek secret services that prevented the attack on Jews. Terrorism is a common enemy. The Iranian regime is no longer just a regional problem but a global problem.”