Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the leaders' joint statements after the informal trilateral meeting of Greece - Cyprus - Egypt stressed that today they discussed extensively all the major regional challenges, proving that this cooperation is a positive model in favor of stability and security, a path of understanding which always prioritizes the positive agenda and is not directed against any country.
“On Gaza, we reiterated our support for a just peace always on the basis of the two states,” he said and spoke of the need for humanitarian aid to reach unobstructed and for Hamas to be disarmed.
“We discussed the developments in Lebanon, we all stand in favor of its integrity and sovereignty throughout its Territory,” the prime minister continued, while on Libya he noted that “we support the unity of the country and a Libyan-owned political process under the UN, without foreign interventions, which will lead to free elections.
“Illegal migratory flows from Eastern Libya to my homeland must be curbed and I would like to congratulate President Sisi for the determination Egypt is showing in managing and addressing the problem of illegal migration,” Mr. Mitsotakis then said.
On the Cyprus issue he said that he reiterated his support for the prospect of a just and viable solution within the framework of the United Nations and in accordance with the decisions of the Security Council. “It would constitute a significant contribution to the peace and stability of the entire Eastern Mediterranean. We support the efforts to restart the talks,” he underlined.
On the freedom of navigation Mr. Mitsotakis stressed that it is an issue of global importance.
“A global shipping power such as Greece places the issue at absolute priority. The Greek presidency of the security council is planning new initiatives,” he added.
“What unites us is our commitment to international law and especially the law of the sea, having proven in practice that the delimitation of maritime zones can be achieved through dialogue,” he stressed and referred to the partial agreement with Egypt “which proved that when there is political will and commitment to international legality we can achieve mutually beneficial convergences while at the same time strengthening stability in the region.”
“This was, is and will be our approach overall both in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the Aegean. Greece threatens no one, it seeks stability through functional relations of good neighborliness, always on the basis of international law. Stability, however, does in no case mean submissiveness, nor tolerance of faits accomplis. Therefore Greece is not afraid either to defend its positions with confidence, or to engage in dialogue. They are the two sides of a responsible foreign policy,” he sent the message.
Mr. Mitsotakis referred to the countries' cooperation in energy, connectivity and investments, while he described the Greece - Egypt electricity interconnection as a project of strategic importance.
“The prospects for cooperation in natural gas are significant. Gas that will be produced in Cyprus will be transported to Egypt, will use the infrastructure to be liquefied and will be able to return to Europe via Alexandroupoli to cover the needs of countries in southeastern and central Europe. It is a model of energy cooperation,” he stressed.
The prime minister also spoke about the European dimension of cooperation with Egypt. “A strong EU-Egypt relationship is an investment in the stability and prosperity of our common neighborhood. Our trilateral relationship and the prospects for cooperation remain a steady axis of prosperity and security in the region,” he underlined.
Al-Sisi's statements
The strategic importance of the cooperation of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus for stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean was underlined by the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, after the completion of the informal trilateral meeting of the leaders of Greece-Cyprus-Egypt, which took place in El Alamein.
The Egyptian President placed particular emphasis on the energy interconnection with Greece, on cooperation in the natural gas sector and on the coordination of the three countries on defense and security issues.
Al-Sisi described the trilateral mechanism as a model of strategic regional cooperation, stressing that it is based on mutual respect, common benefit and the safeguarding of the rules of international law.
Mr. Sisi referred to the common will of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt to strengthen stability in the region, but also pointed out that security must be based on respect for the sovereignty of states and international law.
Referring to the issue of energy, the Egyptian President made it clear that cooperation is at the forefront of the trilateral relationship. Egypt, as he said, attaches particular importance to promoting electricity interconnection projects and especially to the Egypt-Greece interconnection, which he described as a “real milestone” for strengthening regional energy integration.
Al-Sisi also referred to the plan for transporting Cypriot natural gas to Egyptian infrastructure and then for re-exporting it to European markets.
Defense, security and international law
The Egyptian president also made special reference to the defense dimension of the trilateral scheme. As he noted, the cooperation of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus is not limited to politics, the economy and culture, but includes coordination in the fields of security and defense, with the aim of addressing the challenges in the region.
He in fact directly linked regional security with the commitment of the three countries to the rules of international law, support for national institutions and respect for the sovereignty of states.
At the same time, he stated that the talks examined ways of further strengthening political coordination and economic cooperation, as well as new investment opportunities in Egypt in the sectors of technology and information technology, tourism, industry, health, education, construction and infrastructure.
The Egyptian president, referring to the developments in Gaza, expressed Cairo's opposition to any attempt at “displacement of the Palestinians” or “changing the demographic composition of the Palestinian territories.”He called for the full implementation of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement for the ceasefire and ensuring unhindered access for humanitarian aid. He also reiterated Egypt's position in favor of the creation of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Libya and Syria
On Libya, Al-Sisi underlined the importance of a political process under Libyan leadership, which will lead to the holding of elections, while he called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, foreign fighters and mercenaries from the country.
As for Syria, he pointed out the convergence of the positions of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus in favor of preserving the unity and territorial integrity of the country and against any attempt to partition it.
The three leaders also exchanged views on developments in Sudan and the Horn of Africa, with Al-Sisi overall reiterating Cairo's position in favor of de-escalation and the search for political solutions to the crises in the wider region.
with information from ANA-MPA