On Wednesday, the defense ministers of Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece said that emerging regional threats and challenges necessitate even closer cooperation and will seek to invite more countries to take part in joint military drills that aim to sharpen their preparedness levels.
During the talks, Gen. Mohamed Zaki, said that the three-way meetings aimed at boosting defense cooperation between the three countries.
“We also agreed to further develop our now firmly established cooperation and thus sending clear and strong messages, as well as looking into the possibility of expanding it ... through the inclusion of other countries with which we share the same values and objectives for the future of our wider region,” Zaki added.
He noted that they discussed better coordinating actions to counter threats that emanate from the wider region such as terrorism, illegal migration, and illegal trafficking.
Referring to the war between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza as well as tensions in Libya, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, Petrides said the three ministers agreed on the need for political solutions.
The latest in a string of such meetings between the three defense ministers is an extension of close links that the leaderships of the three countries have forged in the last few years, based on shared interests regarding potential hydrocarbon deposits in the eastern Mediterranean.
Egypt shares maritime borders with both Greek and Cyprus. The Cypriot government has licensed energy companies Total of France, Italy’s Eni and ExxonMobil to search for gas deposits in waters where it has exclusive economic rights.
Follow the latest news on Google News
