The leaders of Cyprus, Greece and Israel met at a summit on Monday in Jerusalem and issued a joint statement on deepening trilateral cooperation, including in areas listed in the programme of Cyprus EU Presidency.
As already reported, Cyprus will take over the rotating EU Presidency from Denmark on 1 January and chair it until 30 June 2026 under the motto “An Autonomous Union – Open to the World”. The programme focuses on achieving ‘autonomy’ for the EU as whole across five policy areas or interconnected pillars.
“This is our 10th meeting, but I believe it is the most important," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Israel is already a global leader in technology, and together with Greece and Cyprus, we’ll shape the future of the region.”
"Today, during our consultations, we reaffirmed the strategic nature of our alliance, which is based on shared values, common interests and convergent aspirations, and is guided by a vision of regional integration, prosperity, stability and, of course, security,” said Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
He referred also to the upcoming Cyprus EU Presidency “As today’s Summit takes place just eight days before Cyprus takes over the Presidency, we had the opportunity to exchange views, bearing in mind that one of our key priorities will be to further strengthen the EU’s relations with the region, including of course Israel.”
“Our presence here today is not symbolic; it is substantive. The cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Israel is of strategic importance, not only for our three countries, but also for the wider region and beyond,” he added.
The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, referred to the operation of the Maritime Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (MCCE) in Cyprus, which is scheduled to operate in 2026. He emphasized its importance in strengthening the protection of the common maritime area of the three states.
In its EU Presidency Programme, Cyprus listed among others ensuring freedom of navigation and security across all maritime routes, implementing the new Pact for the Mediterranean, supporting the implementation of the comprehensive peace plan in Gaza, and facilitating the distribution of humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza, including via the Cyprus Maritime Corridor.
The joint statement of the three countries addresses all these issues and adds details that were missing in the EU Presidency programme.
Ambitious joint statement
“We recognize that our region is at a historic turning point, with the opportunity to usher in an era of stability, prosperity and cooperation stretching from India, through the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, to Europe,” the statement says.
Cyprus, Greece and Israel agreed to strengthen their current trilateral cooperation in the areas of security, defense and military. They welcomed the establishment of the Maritime Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (MCCE) in Cyprus and its planned launch in 2026.
They recognized the significant and consistent contribution of Cyprus and Greece to the humanitarian efforts in Gaza. That includes the "Amaltheia" sea corridor (the Cyprus maritime corridor to Gaza), which is being implemented in coordination between Cyprus and Israel and in close cooperation with international partners.
The statement reiterated the importance of President Trump's 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza and called for the immediate return of the remains of the last Israeli hostage as well as the disarmament of Hamas. The latter issue is what currently delays the transition to the second phase of the peace plan.
Cyprus and Greece are both participating in the US-led Political-Military Coordination Center for Gaza (CMCC), located in southern Israel. They will work for the transfer of humanitarian aid and commercial goods to Gaza.
The statement also mentions the situation in Lebanon, where the current fragile ceasefire has not yet resulted in a political solution and normalisation of the relations between Lebanon and Israel. “We support the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Lebanon, as well as the importance of ensuring the monopoly on the use of force by legitimate state actors”.
On Jerusalem, they also found common language. While emphasizing the special importance of Jerusalem for the three monotheistic religions, they also recalled the “inherent and close historical ties between the Jewish people and their historic homeland”. They reiterated their commitment to maintaining the Status Quo in the Holy Places of Jerusalem, an EU demand on Israel.
Importantly for countries that are hit by wild fires and oil pollutions, the agreed to step up their cooperation in emergency response. They agreed to the establishment of a Tripartite Working Group on Emergency Preparedness and Response, ensuring rapid and effective mutual assistance in cases of natural disasters.
They already cooperate within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. A new Cyprus Regional Aerial Firefighting Station aims to strengthen regional preparedness and response capacities, in particular with regard to fires. In 2026, they plan to conduct a joint exercise to respond to marine pollution incidents.
They also plan to promote joint projects in the areas of Energy, Connectivity and Regional Prosperity, such as the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Hub and Great Sea Interconnector project. They will work together to promote regional connectivity projects, both ongoing and future, within the framework of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
The three countries see the upcoming Cyprus EU Presidency as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation in the Southern Neighbourhood, including the Eastern Mediterranean, contributing to strengthening relations between the EU and Israel and exploiting their potential as key partners.
