Energy, security and regional developments were at the centre of an informal trilateral meeting between Cyprus, Greece and Egypt in El Alamein on Tuesday, with President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reaffirming the strategic importance of cooperation among the three countries for stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In statements following the trilateral meeting, President Christodoulides described the trilateral as ‘informal in form but strategic in substance’, referring to the significance of the recent Final Investment Decision on the Kronos gas field, which, he said, marks Cyprus’ transition into an era of natural gas exports to Europe through Egypt’s infrastructure.
The Egyptian President placed emphasis on the Egypt-Greece electricity interconnection and on the prospect of transporting Cypriot natural gas to Egyptian infrastructure for re-export to European markets. He also highlighted the importance of defence and security cooperation in addressing regional challenges.
Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reaffirmed Greece’s support for the GREGY electricity interconnection and referred to the prospects of transporting Cypriot natural gas via Egypt to Europe.
The three leaders also discussed developments in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Libya, reiterating their support for a two-state solution and respect for international law.