Israel says Netanyahu to meet Greek, Cypriot leaders to beef up ‘Hellenic alliance’

The prime ministers of Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are set to hold a tripartite summit to strengthen the “Hellenic Alliance” between the Mediterranean countries, says the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar will fly to Athens today for trilateral and bilateral meetings with his Greek and Cypriot counterparts, in a visit that “will precede the anticipated summit of the three countries’ prime ministers, scheduled to be held in Israel later this month,” Sa’ar’s office says in a statement.

During this week’s summit — the first held by the countries since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 — Sa’ar aims to “renew the operations of the trilateral forum with our friends Greece and Cyprus” and “engage in discussions with my counterparts on regional issues of shared interest among the three countries,” according to his office.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last met with his Greek and Cypriot counterparts in Cyprus in September of 2023, after which plans to outline a route for Israel to export natural gas to Europe along the two islands were to be finalized, according to the embassy of Israel in Nicosia.

During the trio’s first summit, discussions centered on energy cooperation regarding newly found offshore gas reserves in Israel as well as migration, counter-terrorism, and tourism. The countries signed a cooperation agreement on water resource management, and later agreed on a joint emergency rescue force for instances of natural disasters.