Medusa Drill Highlights Cairo and Athens’ Close Relationship

This year’s Medusa 24 exercise, which will take place throughout the area surrounding Crete, reaching as far as Kasos and Karpathos, will highlight Egypt and Greece’s extremely close relationship and cooperation with key players in the EU and the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.

It is well known that the two islands serve as baselines for the partial delimitation of Greece’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with Egypt.

The drill will include forces from Saudi Arabia, France, and the Republic of Cyprus. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are regarded as the two barometers of Arab attitudes in the Middle East.

In the past years, Athens and Riyadh have grown closer, based on a broader geostrategic perspective for the area. The geographic scope of the execution of the Medusa scenarios is also an indirect reminder on the part of Egypt that it will not back down from international agreements in effect, such as the partial delimitation of the EEZ with Greece.

Earlier this month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited Ankara and met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The visit paved the way for a new phase in economic and trade relations and reflects the two countries’ determination to open a new page of cooperation.

During the visit, El-Sisi told Turkish media that Cairo was asked to proceed with the delimitation of the EEZ between the two countries, a request which was rejected by Egypt.

Egypt has had partial delimitation agreements with Greece since 2020 and with the Republic of Cyprus since 2014.

The main scenarios of the exercise, which will take place in the area around Crete, are aeronautical, with the participation of Special Forces units.

The Medusa exercise was first conducted in 2015, and since then the armed forces of Egypt and Greece have created a strong understanding and collaboration. The exercise has also gained regional and international significance, as seen by the continued participation of partners and allies, including elements of the US Armed Forces.