Egypt, Greece and Cyprus Hold Sixth Trilateral Defense Ministers Meeting

Egypt hosted the sixth trilateral meeting of the defense ministers of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus as part of efforts to deepen strategic partnerships and strengthen security cooperation among the three countries.

Egyptian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief and Minister of Defense and Military Production General Ashraf Salem Zaher opened the meeting by highlighting the longstanding ties between the three countries and their shared efforts to promote security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Zaher stressed the importance of continued coordination and building on the outcomes of previous meetings under the trilateral cooperation mechanism to advance the mutual interests of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus.

Greek National Defense Minister Nikolaos Dendias praised the Egyptian Armed Forces and their strategic role in the Middle East. He stressed the importance of the meeting in shaping a stronger future for the armed forces of the three countries and expanding military cooperation in line with international laws and conventions.

Cyprus Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas described the meeting as an extension of the trilateral summit held in Alamein earlier this month. He stressed the need for closer coordination amid the rapid challenges and developments facing the region.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the three defense ministers signed a joint final statement reaffirming their commitment to strengthening defense and security cooperation, addressing shared challenges and supporting peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Zaher held separate talks with the Greek and Cypriot defense ministers.

His meeting with Dendias covered issues of mutual interest and ways to strengthen military relations across various fields, while his talks with Palmas focused on expanding military cooperation and exchanging expertise between the armed forces of Egypt and Cyprus.

The meetings were attended by Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Lieutenant General Ahmed Khalifa, along with senior Egyptian, Greek and Cypriot military commanders and the Greek and Cypriot ambassadors to Cairo.