The Cyprus-Greece-Egypt trilateral meeting, held in historic El Alamein, delivered a resounding response to Ankara’s overtures to Cairo. Although this trilateral meeting may have been informal, it sent the most official message of all: the strengthening of relations among the three countries in areas such as defense and energy.

ABDEL FATTAH AL-SISSI—President of Egypt: “It is
my pleasure to welcome my two dear friends to Egypt for this trilateral summit. This cooperation brings our three countries closer together within a framework that has become a model for strategic regional cooperation, based on mutual respect, the common good, and the adoption of wise policies in accordance with the provisions of international law. And these principles are not limited to our countries alone, but extend to our entire region.”

Neither President Sisi nor the leaders of Greece and Cyprus made any reference to the much-discussed Mecca Pact, in which Turkey had sought to include Egypt. Instead, Nikos Christodoulides and Kyriakos Mitsotakis pointed out to the Egyptian leader that the three countries have important matters to address, including historic collaborations, particularly in the energy sector, such as the transport of Cypriot natural gas to Egyptian terminals and its export by 2028.

NIKOS CHRISTODOULIDES—President of the Republic: “A
very important milestone in the cooperation between our countries is the recent final investment decision, which President Sisi also mentioned earlier, regarding the Kronos field in the Cypriot EEZ. It marks Cyprus’s transition into the era of natural gas exports.”

Athens has a pending electricity interconnection with Egypt, which Sisi himself described as a true milestone. The trilateral meeting gave Kyriakos Mitsotakis the opportunity to address security issues as well, directed at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and set against the backdrop of recent threats.

KYRIAKOS MITSOTAKIS—Prime Minister of Greece: “Greece
does not threaten anyone. It seeks stability through functional, good-neighborly relations, always based on international law. Stability, however, does not in any way mean concessions, nor does it mean tolerance of fait accomplis.”

Specifically regarding the Mecca Pact, Christodoulides and Mitsotakis pointed out to Sissy that, in any case, the three countries are in favor of stability in the region and support the governments of Syria and Lebanon, as well as a peaceful resolution in Gaza. These are positions with which the European Union is in full agreement; the EU is providing financial support to Cairo following initiatives by Nicosia and Athens.

Christodoulides and Sisi had the opportunity to witness the impressive air shows up close as part of an international exhibition organized by Egypt. At the same time, they were given a tour of the pavilions of various countries.

In the coming days, specifically on September 21 and 22, the 6th Trilateral Meeting of Defense Ministers from Cyprus, Greece, and Egypt will take place in Cairo—the first since 2022.

See the report by Giorgos Georgiadis:

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