Cyprus to host next trilateral meeting of Greek, Cyprus, Israel FMs

Cyprus will host the next trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Cyprus, Israel and Greece, the Cyprus foreign minister Nicos Christodoulides agreed with his Israeli counterpart during a visit to Israel on Tuesday.

The two foreign ministers reaffirmed the common commitment of their respective governments to further enhance bilateral cooperation and ties, focusing on political dialogue, security, energy, tourism, research and innovation as well as investments.

On Tuesday, Christodoulides paid a short working visit to Israel, in the framework of which he had a tete-a-tete meeting with the new foreign minister of the country, followed by extended talks between the delegations of the two ministries.

Measures in place in Israel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic meant talks had to take place at the Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport, where Christodoulides flew on a helicopter of the Cyprus Air Force.

Christodoulides and Ashkenazi discussed the latest developments in the broader region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, focusing on the ongoing destabilizing activities of Turkey, the alarming situation in Libya, developments in Syria and other regional issues.

A press release issued by the Cyprus foreign ministry said that during the talks, the two sides confirmed with satisfaction the excellent development of bilateral relations between Cyprus and Israel, 60 years after they established diplomatic relations, and reaffirmed the commitment of the two counties and their governments to continue and intensify efforts for further bilateral cooperation and ties.

The two ministers also discussed the repercussions of the pandemic in both countries and in the broader region, as well as the cooperation between Cyprus and Israel that aided their effective handling of the pandemic.

Views were also exchanged on ways to securely restart tourism, when conditions allow.

Moreover, Christodoulides and Ashkenazi reviewed with satisfaction the concrete progress that has been achieved in the framework of the trilateral cooperation mechanism of Cyprus, Israel and Greece. The two agreed that the next trilateral meeting of the three countries’ foreign ministers will take place in Cyprus.

The two Ministers also discussed the EU-Israel relations, and agreed on the importance of enhancing and promoting them, recognizing the positive role that Cyprus can play towards this direction.