Greece, Israel, and Cyprus Forge Closer Ties

The defence ministers of Greece, Israel, and Cyprus announced on Thursday their commitment to enhancing military cooperation. This will improve readiness, boost job creation, and reinforce security in a volatile region.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz highlighted agreements reached during talks in Nicosia, emphasizing plans to "foster extensive industrial collaboration to enhance defence capabilities and generate thousands of jobs across all three economies."

Despite regional tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly concerning offshore gas rights, the three nations have cultivated strong ties. They are partners in a joint initiative to transport gas from Israel and potentially other regional waters to Europe via an underwater pipeline.

Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos underscored ongoing efforts among Greek, Israeli, and Cypriot armed forces to enhance operational synergy through joint training, intelligence sharing, and cybersecurity measures.

Both Panagiotopoulos and Cyprus' Defense Minister Charalambos Petrides expressed intentions to broaden this partnership, potentially involving other nations such as the United States, whose presence in the Eastern Mediterranean is deemed crucial for regional stability, according to Panagiotopoulos.

The region has been fraught with tensions, notably involving Turkey, which has deployed gas exploration vessels into waters contested by Greece and drilling ships into areas where Cyprus claims exclusive rights. Although tensions escalated between NATO allies Greece and Turkey last summer and fall, they have since eased.

Turkey asserts its rights to conduct such activities in these waters and claims to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots to energy resources in the vicinity of war-divided Cyprus.