Greece shares a unified stance with Cyprus and Egypt on security and regional stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Chatzivasileiou said on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, during an interview with television station ANT1.
Reflecting on recent three-way discussions held in the Egyptian coastal town of El Alamein, Chatzivasileiou stressed that Athens is not alone in the Eastern Mediterranean. He highlighted that Egypt, as the largest Arab nation, and Cyprus stand alongside Greece in maintaining a common approach to regional security.
The minister explained that discussions in El Alamein confirmed complete alignment between the three countries on upholding international law. He noted that their shared references to how maritime zones are delimited demonstrate how neighboring nations ought to communicate and reach consensus.
Chatzivasileiou pointed to the existing bilateral maritime agreement signed between Greece and Egypt as concrete proof of how neighboring states should negotiate their maritime boundaries peacefully.
Maritime boundaries and international law
Addressing questions regarding the subsea electrical cable project designed to connect regional power grids, Chatzivasileiou affirmed that the infrastructure development remains a European priority with dedicated European funding.
The project will proceed normally according to initial planning, the minister stated. He added that the entry of Meridiam, the Paris-headquartered infrastructure investment group, demonstrates that the project is secure, noting that the French firm would not invest its funds otherwise.
Chatzivasileiou also emphasized that the subsea electrical cable project does not require licensing approval from any third party.
Subsea cable infrastructure and investment
Turning to defense cooperation, the deputy foreign minister outlined military planning for the upcoming Medusa joint armed forces exercise, which involves military units from Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, France, and Italy.
Chatzivasileiou observed that the designated exercise area largely coincides with the region covered by the illegal Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum. He said the exercise provides further proof that Greece does not accept fait accompli resulting from illegal agreements.
Describing the Turkish-Libyan memorandum as completely unfounded and illegal under international law, Chatzivasileiou noted that the wider international community recognizes its invalidity. He added that Greece did not observe regional developments passively, but instead signed its legitimate agreement with Egypt, effectively invalidating the Turkish-Libyan pact in practice.
Medusa exercise and regional security
Looking ahead to diplomatic engagements, Chatzivasileiou confirmed that planning is underway for a formal three-way meeting of the foreign ministers of Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt.
He praised the work of Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, stating that Gerapetritis is doing exceptional diplomatic work on the ground in close cooperation with Cairo and Nicosia, bringing the three allied nations closer together than ever before.
