The position of Cyprus and Greece within a broader regional security architecture, extending from India and the United Arab Emirates to the Eastern Mediterranean, was highlighted by the Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, retired Lieutenant General Amir Baram.

Speaking today at the Herzliya Conference at Reichman University, Mr. Baram warned that the Iranian threat requires not only a strengthening of Israel’s defense capabilities but also an expansion of Israel’s strategic partnerships.

As he said, the war demonstrated to all regional players the cost of military support for Iran and created a common interest in a broader axis “from India, through the United Arab Emirates, to Greece and Cyprus.”

Mr. Baram noted that Israel’s technological and operational expertise, combined with the economic power of the Gulf states, could create a new “security and economic front.”

At the same time, he made it clear that expanding regional cooperation is not a substitute for the strategic relationship with the United States. On the contrary, he said, it can strengthen Israel’s room for maneuver and its international standing.

Baram also referred to the new U.S.–Israel security memorandum of understanding currently being drafted, stating that the relationship with Washington must be based not only on shared values but also on hard strategic interests.

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Source: CNA