A Bilateral Defense Cooperation Program between the National Guard and the Armed Forces (DF) of Israel as well as a corresponding Tripartite Program with the participation of the Greek Defense Forces for the year 2023 was signed on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Tel Aviv.

The signing ceremony was preceded by extended talks between the country’s delegations, during which a review of bilateral and then trilateral cooperation so far, respectively, was carried out.

The talks confirmed the significant progress achieved in existing areas of cooperation, while a preliminary discussion was held regarding additional areas of common interest, which will be included in future programs.

In addition, they exchanged views and assessments regarding the security challenges in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, but also more generally on the security climate that is taking shape internationally, due to geopolitical developments.

A related announcement issued by the General Staff of the National Guard this afternoon states that the Bilateral Defense Cooperation Program includes a significant number of actions, which will be carried out both in Cyprus and Israel, which further strengthen bilateral military cooperation .

At the same time, it is a confirmation of the constant upgrading of the multi-faceted cooperation between the EDs of the two countries, especially in the year 2022, with the conduct of the large-scale interdisciplinary exercise “AGAPINOR” and the air defense exercise “IASON”.

In addition, with the signing of the Tripartite Defense Cooperation Program, the already close military cooperation between the Cyprus – Greece – Israel Defense Forces is further deepened and the role of the three countries as factors of stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond is strengthened.

The above programs are part of the wide network of bilateral and multilateral actions developed by the National Guard, with the directions of the Ministry of Defense and, among other things, provide for joint exercises, trainings and exchange of expertise on specialized issues.

At the same time, they express the ongoing commitment and will of Cyprus, Greece and Israel, to upgrade and strengthen the cooperation and ties between their EDs, as it has been recognized that addressing common challenges and promoting security and stability requires multilateral and multifaceted action between countries that they share the same ideals and principles, which are based in International Law.