President Nikos Christodoulides will travel to Jerusalem on Monday to take part in the tenth trilateral summit between Cyprus, Greece and Israel, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Saturday.
“The summit confirms the broader strategic network of cooperation that has developed between the three countries, with the aim of producing new and tangible deliverables that respond to the contemporary geopolitical and economic challenges of the region,” Letymbiotis said.
The biannual summit was last held in Nicosia in September 2023, shortly before the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Key objectives of this year’s summit include enhanced political coordination and the strengthening of the strategic partnership in areas of common interest, such as defence, cyber and maritime security, energy and regional connectivity.
The leaders are also expected to discuss the potential further strengthening of the 3+1 cooperation framework with the United States, within the context of what Letymbiotis described as a broader dynamic of regional integration aimed at reinforcing the Eastern Mediterranean’s role as a bridge for strategic, energy and economic interconnection.
Energy issues will feature prominently on the agenda, with discussions focusing on the further development of existing joint projects, as well as new initiatives and interconnected infrastructure, Letymbiotis said.
He added that the recent signing of the agreement on the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between Cyprus and Lebanon was expected to give positive momentum to discussions in this direction.
The agreement, first drafted in 2007, was signed at the end of November by Christodoulides and his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun.
Described by the president as a “milestone of strategic importance”, the agreement includes plans for a viability study into the possible creation of an electricity interconnection.
Letymbiotis said the summit would also address Cyprus’ intention to play an active role and provide complementary support to stabilisation efforts in war-stricken Gaza, including humanitarian assistance, security-related matters and reconstruction.
Following the summit, Christodoulides will hold a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the two leaders are expected to reaffirm the high level of bilateral relations and their shared political will to further deepen them.
Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and Energy Minister Michael Damianos will also hold meetings with their Israeli counterparts.
The president is expected to return to Cyprus on Monday evening.
“The holding of the tenth trilateral summit confirms the continuity, institutional maturity and strategic resilience of this cooperation scheme, which has been established as a pillar of regional cooperation and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Letymbiotis concluded.
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