The Greek Prime Minister’s proposal to convene a meeting of the coastal countries of the region, provides that a 5X5 Multilateral Framework will include 5 countries, namely Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, and Libya and will focus on 5 topics, according to Greek diplomatic sources.
The Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to this proposal in a speech during a session of the Hellenic Parliament yesterday.
Sources from the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that Greece has always supported trilateral and multilateral regional cooperation frameworks with countries with which it faces common challenges, and that this is now more necessary than ever due to the geopolitical changes.
“The proposal for a 5X5 Multilateral Framework includes 5 countries and 5 themes. It includes Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, and Libya. The thematic areas are migration, protection of the marine environment, connectivity, delimitation of maritime zones, and civil protection,” they said adding that the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs will undertake the task to explore the possibility and prospects of such a format and to what extent this could become permanent.
“Greece is a pillar of stability and security in southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. In a spirit of understanding and guided by international law, we seek peace and prosperity in our region. Greece is confident, has a strong international and regional diplomatic footprint, a strong economy, and strong army. Not only it is not afraid, but it seeks understanding with all neighboring states,” the sources concluded.