Israel, Greece, Cyprus Leaders Issue Joint Statements In Jerusalem | DRM News | AC1F

Also offers new opportunities for prosperity. We're cooperating and discussed in detail cooperation in many fields: energy, technology, connectivity, and also security that guarantees this all. We will advance the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor. This is an idea that has been brought forward before, but we think we have to put it into reality. It's a maritime, rail, pipeline, energy pipeline, and cable connectivity between Asia and Europe going through Israel, Cyprus, and Greece. And as part of this effort, we are advancing the Great Sea Interconnector that will enable electric energy cooperation between our three countries and Europe and the Arabian Peninsula, and ultimately you can connect it to Asia as well. So this is a big thing, and in many ways it's the skeleton of the IMEC corridor. We discussed practically how to move this forward, and we intend to advance it. I'll also discuss it in my upcoming meeting with President Trump in the United States. We agree to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, advanced research. Israel is already a global technology leader, and together with Greece and Cyprus, we will shape the region's future in cutting-edge new technologies. I want to tell you that a lot is going on right now. Israeli high-tech companies are flocking to Cyprus and to Greece. It basically says that they believe in the economic management. We're not jealous. We believe in competition. There are what? 137 flights a week.

186 flights a week between Israel and Cyprus. It's unbelievable. Just compute that. How many flights a day? And I don't know of many Israeli investors who have not visited Greece or are not investing in Greece. Increasing amounts are growing there. And again, I think this is a sign of the dynamism of our economies. Israel's economy, which has been rated third by The Economist as the most vibrant economy on the planet. Third most vibrant economy on the planet. I think we were shortchanged, but that's all right. But I believe that there is dynamism here. There is at once great opportunity but also great challenges, and we recognize them. We affirmed our commitment to expanding the Abraham Accords, to widening the circle of cooperation between Israel and the Arab world. We also expressed support for Lebanon's sovereignty and for a future in which legitimate state institutions hold authority and military power, and not terrorist militias. We agreed today to deepen our security and defense cooperation. The threats we face are real. Together, we're defending not only our own nations, but vital sea lanes and critical infrastructure that the global economy depends on. I cannot skip the opportunity to call for the immediate return of Rani Gili, the Israeli hostage that is still held by Hamas. This is contrary to the laws of war, and this is something that has to be completed. But we are in general fighting a battle for an orderly future of states that want to seize the future against those forces who want to drag us back to a dark medieval past that has nothing to do with modernity and nothing to do with progress. Now, Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are three ancient countries with ancient peoples. Jerusalem and Athens are the foundations of Western civilization. And in Cyprus, both cultures flourished. So you have to go to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, or you go to the Acropolis in Athens, or you go to the incredible historic museum in Nicosia, which I did, and you see the glory of our past. So all three of us are very proud of our history in our ancestral homelands as we seize the future. Now, it is true that all of our countries were conquered in the past by a succession of empires. But through courage and sacrifice, we achieved our independence in modern times: Greece 195 years ago, Israel 78 years ago, Cyprus 65 years ago. To those who fantasize they can reestablish their empires and their dominion over our lands, I say forget it. It's not going to happen. Don't even think about it. We are committed and able to defend ourselves, and our cooperation further enhances that capability. Together, we three genuine democracies in the eastern Mediterranean shall advance security, prosperity, and liberty. With God's help, we will bring a brighter and safer future to our nations and to the entire region. Together, we'll bring stability through strength, prosperity through strength, and most important, peace through strength. I wish to wish you all happy holidays. Thank you.

Well, now Prime Minister, thank you for hosting us today in Jerusalem. And as you pointed out, this is the 10th trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. And I think this reaffirms the depth, the maturity, but also the strategic importance of a partnership that has clearly stood the test of time, has proven resilient and adaptable, and continues to contribute significantly to the stability and security in the eastern Mediterranean. Let me also echo what Nikos said and express our profound abhorrence at the horrific terrorist attack which took place in Sydney. I extend on behalf of the Greek people my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and I would also like to express our solidarity to the Jewish communities worldwide. Anti-Semitism has no place, I repeat, no place in our democratic societies, and combating hatred, bigotry, and racism in all their forms is a shared responsibility and unfortunately needs to be a continuous endeavor. Our region is undergoing profound change. The last time we met in 2023, things looked very different. We've now entered a new geopolitical phase. This creates some serious risks, but I believe it also creates a profound window of opportunity to shape a regional security architecture that can deliver peace and prosperity. And I think in this context, our trilateral cooperation carries an even greater strategic weight. It should always be anchored in international law, guided by good neighborly principles. But this cooperation between our coastal states, three strong, thriving democracies, I think we can generate opportunities that advance the prosperity not only of our people but also of the people in the eastern Mediterranean. In general, we spoke about the way forward in Gaza. Let me also echo what the Prime Minister said: a call for the last remaining victim from the October 7 massacre to be returned to Israel. But I do believe that after two years of war and following President Trump's personal engagement, a new opportunity has emerged, and advancing the 20-point peace plan and moving forward to the second phase of an agreement should be a shared responsibility, always making sure that we completely eliminate the threat of terrorism, guaranteeing Israel's security, and further enhancing regional stability. We always stand ready to contribute to the day after through diplomacy and stabilization efforts. I think we're a country that is well respected in the region, and should there be an opportunity to play this role, we will certainly embrace it. We discussed the broader regional developments. I think we reaffirmed our commitment to the political stability of Lebanon, supporting the country's sovereignty, its territorial integrity. The support that we provide as Greece to the Lebanese armed forces is important. Ensuring state control and monopoly on arms throughout the country, I think, is a shared priority for all three of our countries. On Syria, one year after the fall of the Assad regime, we stress the need for restoring security and stability, but also the full respect for the rights of all religious and ethnic communities. And let me make a point here about the need to protect in particular the Christian Orthodox communities of the Middle East, which in Syria have suffered persecution. This needs to be an essential parameter for a durable political settlement. We spoke a lot about the areas of mutual cooperation in various strategic areas, security and defense, where our two countries are already doing a lot together. Thank you for raising technology and innovation. I think we're at the beginning of a tremendous AI revolution, and we need to seize its power in a positive and constructive manner. But there's also more we can do in areas such as emergency preparedness. We always stand shoulder-to-shoulder when natural catastrophes strike our countries, and I would envision a more structured way to cooperate when it comes to civil protection, in particular when it comes to dealing with wildfires. Even areas such as water management, where Israel has made tremendous progress, are becoming much more relevant for our two countries at a time when the climate crisis is already present and impacting us in numerous different ways. The Prime Minister and the President spoke about the importance of energy and connectivity. Greece is emerging as a key energy hub in southeastern Europe. We are a gateway for LNG, which is something that could be very relevant to both Cyprus and Israel. We're becoming a net exporter of electricity, and of course ensuring that the important interconnection projects that connect our three countries move forward remains a key priority for our three countries. Maritime security was discussed, another key priority, especially for Greece as a leading maritime nation, and the President mentioned the maritime cybersecurity center of excellence in Cyprus. This is expected to become operational next year, and this will enhance the protection of our shared maritime territory. And of course, next year our navies and coast guards will conduct a joint exercise focused on marine pollution response. We also discussed the importance of IMEC and the necessity to move from what is currently a vague concept to specific deliverables, project-oriented deliverables that will demonstrate the great value of this strategic corridor that will connect India, the Middle East, Israel, Cyprus, and continental Europe. We see a lot of potential in working together in these projects, and as we see a lot of potential in further reviving and strengthening, and I'm sure this is a point that you will make when you visit the United States over the next days, the 3+1 cooperation with the United States. This remains central to our vision for a stable and prosperous eastern Mediterranean. I think the US engagement adds obviously clear value, particularly in energy and infrastructure. And let me again repeat here how quickly the US moved to sign agreements in Greece but also with Greece to activate the vertical corridor, which will send American liquefied natural gas through Greece to Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary. This is adding another geopolitical and geoeconomic dimension to the eastern Mediterranean, and I think keeps the United States very interested in the region. So let me conclude by repeating that this partnership has delivered concrete results, and it will deliver even more concrete results in this new era of challenges and opportunities. We very much look forward to continuing working together and building on this exceptionally successful trilateral cooperation.