On this final day of Hanukkah, allow me to start by conveying my warm wishes to Jewish communities around the world. Regrettably, the first day of Hanukkah was marked by a horrific anti-Semitic attack in Australia, so I would like to stress, once again, that we stand in solidarity with all those affected and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to fighting antisemitism.
Dear friends, today during our deliberations, we reaffirmed the strategic nature of our alliance anchored in shared values, common interests and converging objectives, driven by a vision for regional integration, prosperity, stability and, of course, security. And I have to say that our trilateral format has further matured and deepened our cooperation in a broad range of sectors, including energy and interconnectivity, of course, security and defence, maritime cooperation, crisis preparedness and civil protection, innovation and security, as well as people-to-people contacts. The Prime Minister very correctly mentioned the 186 flights that we have from Israel every week during summertime. I am also particularly pleased today for the revived Trilateral Secretariat in Cyprus, in Lefkosia, which now provides an institutional framework for task forces, working groups, and finalisation and implementation of pending agreements.
With regard to the situation in Gaza, we also reiterated our unwavering support for President Trump’s 20-point plan and the full implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803. Cyprus, as you know, building upon the Amalthea plan continues to support humanitarian assistance, security and early recovery efforts through our six-point plan, first presented during the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting in October, which fully aligns with President Trump’s initiative, as well as through our active participation in the Civil-Military Coordination Centre for Gaza (CMCC), always in full respect of Israel’s legitimate security needs.
Energy and connectivity were also central during today’s discussions. We reaffirmed the strategic importance of the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) and broader electricity and energy connectivity projects, notably the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), to which Cyprus, Greece and Israel serve as its Mediterranean link, offering a southeastern gateway connecting Europe with the Middle East and beyond. This initiative strengthened our trilateral but also our regional cooperation, supported diversification and also enhanced regional resilience, fully aligned with our shared objective of secure, sustainable and interconnected energy markets.
On maritime security, we stressed our commitment to strengthening cooperation to safeguard sea lanes and critical infrastructure, and welcomed the establishment of the trilateral Maritime Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (MCCE) in Cyprus to be inaugurated in 2026.
At the same time, we underlined the added value of the 3+1 format with the United States, which amplifies our trilateral cooperation and aligns with the wider regional architecture. This format has proven to be a credible model for advancing stability, connectivity and strategic cooperation, and we are committed to further reinforcing it.
In the same vein, we discussed defence and security cooperation. We can do much more and we will do so, also within the 3+1 framework, recognising at the same time that much more can be achieved in the fields of counterterrorism, cyber and energy security, always in support of regional stability.
Allow me also to say that as today’s summit takes place just eight days before Cyprus assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), we had the opportunity to exchange ideas, especially having in mind that one of our key priorities will be the further strengthening of the EU relations with the region, including, of course, Israel.
Dear friends, our presence here today is not symbolic; it is substantive. The partnership between Cyprus, Greece and Israel is of strategic importance, not only for our three countries, but also for our region and beyond. And together, we will continue to work in a spirit of trust and cooperation to strengthen stability, security and prosperity throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.
(GS/NZ)