Cyprus, Greece and Israel have jointly condemned actions that do not comply with international law and undermine regional peace and stability.
“We stress that, in order to maintain peace and security in the region, good neighbourly relations and cooperation must prevail on the basis of International Law and respecting UNSC Resolutions,” a joint declaration said late on Thursday.
The declaration was issued at the end of strategic talks in Nicosia between the defence ministers of the three neighbouring countries.
“We also stress our will to intensify our defence cooperation, including examining collaboration in a 3+1 format with countries with a keen interest for defence and security developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, such as the USA,” it added.
Cyprus’ Charalambos Petrides and his Greek and Israeli counterparts, Nikos Panagiotopoloulos and Beni Gantz, respectively, agreed to hold the next Trilateral Defence Ministers meeting in Israel next year.
In the ten-point declaration, the three Defence Ministers also noted that their countries were determined to further enhance a robust, ambitious and strategic partnership in the domains of defence and security.
This partnership aims to foster regional cooperation and partnership and jointly address common challenges and threats.
“Our shared values, the respect for international law and our commitment for a stable, secure and prosperous Eastern Mediterranean are core pillars of our partnership,” they said.
(CNA)
