Cyprus, Israel, Greece join forces on energy, defence, economy and tourism

The foreign ministers of Cyprus, Israel and Greece agreed to cooperate more closely on issues including energy, defence, economy and tourism.

After their meeting in Nicosia, Constantinos Kombos (Cyprus), Eli Kohen (Israel) and Nikos Dendias (Greece) said that trilateral cooperation on energy is crucial for stability in the region, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cyprus and Israel have discovered several natural gas fields, which are currently being developed.

"Unlocking the full potential of our region will be a game changer ... We strive to promote a reliable and sustainable energy corridor from the Eastern Mediterranean basin to Europe," the Cypriot foreign minister said.

The ministers emphasised the significance of the EastMed pipeline, which could transport natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe and reduce dependence on Russian natural gas.

Meanwhile, Greece's Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias underlined his country's goal of becoming a domestic and regional energy hub.

--IANS

int/sha