Egypt, Cyprus, Greece agree to bolster ties, stress commitment to values of peace, stability

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday held the 10th summit of the tripartite co-operation mechanism between the three countries.
Following the summit, the three leaders issued a joint statement in which they reiterated their solid commitment to the values of peace, stability and co-operation that define their trilateral partnership. They said that among the challenges and opportunities in the region, they seek to build on their common interests, and continue to work together to promote security, economic prosperity and sustainable development for their peoples and the wider Mediterranean and Middle East region
The three leaders affirmed their collective commitment to promoting peace and stability in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa, and said they ‘expect all parties to contribute to stability and refrain from provocative actions.’
They also voiced their deep concern over the war in Gaza, which has led to a catastrophic humanitarian situation, and reiterated their calls for the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including an immediate, full and comprehensive ceasefire, with the release of hostages, detainees and prisoners, as well as the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian aid on a wide scale throughout the Gaza Strip to all Palestinian civilians.
They also called upon the international community and key stakeholders to address the root causes of instability in the Middle East through their commitment to the two-state solution.
Elsewhere in the region, Egypt, Cyprus and Greece stated that they are following the recent developments in Syria, and emphasised that such a critical phase in the country’s history requires concerted efforts by its people to launch an inclusive political process under Syrian national ownership, without foreign interference, involving all Syrian national parties, and in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
They also voiced deep concern over the systematic violation of Syria’s sovereignty, adding that “Syria’s unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected within secure borders.”
On the situation in Sudan, Cyprus and Greece underlined Egypt’s key role in halting the crisis there, and reiterated a shared vision on ending this conflict through a comprehensive, durable and immediate nationwide ceasefire. This should be followed by resumption of a Sudanese-owned and managed transitional process, unrestricted humanitarian access and the delivery of life-saving assistance to all Sudanese, while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan and preserving state institutions, the statement said.
They also commended regional and international co-operation to address the complex challenges facing Sudan and the wider region in order to avoid the spread of security threats to the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, as well as to prevent illegal migration to Europe.
On the Cypriot issue, the three countries also affirmed their support for the resumption of a process under Cypriot ownership and administration, reuniting Cyprus as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with one sovereignty, one international personality and one citizenship, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
In the meantime, President Sisi, Christodoulides and Mitsotakis reiterated the importance of ensuring the security and stability of the maritime domain in the Eastern Mediterranean and the region at large, as well as respecting the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all states in their maritime zones.
In addition, he underlined commitment to carry on with consolidating the trilateral mechanism as a platform to maximise co-operation, build good neighbourly relations, and address the common challenges facing their countries.
They also stressed their openness on expanding their trilateral co-operation with regional and international partners to address global challenges and promote stability.
According to the joint statement, the three countries will work on expanding their efforts to ensure energy security through joint projects and exploration in the Mediterranean.
They also reaffirmed commitment to bolster trilateral co-operation in the field of natural gas, to achieve common interests.
They reiterated deep commitment to address urgent environmental challenges, with a particular focus on the environmental and climate priorities of the Eastern Mediterranean region.