Israel, Greece and Cyprus Advance Defense Cooperation at Athens Meeting

Senior defense-policy officials from Israel, Greece and Cyprus met in Athens on November 5 to discuss expanding their security partnership in the Eastern Mediterranean. The talks covered defense industries, maritime security and protection of critical infrastructure, alongside shared assessments of regional security challenges. Israel’s Defense Ministry described defense cooperation as “a central pillar of the partnership.” The discussions included professional exchanges, joint initiatives and regular dialogue. The delegations explored establishing a trilateral defense-industrial working group and examined opportunities for joint development, production and technological collaboration between their defense industries. These were areas discussed, rather than an announced procurement contract or completed industrial project. The three ministries also emphasized freedom of navigation, vital sea lanes, energy supply routes and disaster preparedness and civil protection. They reaffirmed support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus in accordance with United Nations resolutions and international law. In their joint position on the Turkey-Libya maritime-jurisdiction memorandum, they said it infringed third states’ sovereign rights and could not have legal consequences for those states. The meeting followed the framework set out at the three countries’ leaders’ summit in Jerusalem on December 22, 2025. The ministries recalled that summit’s invitation for other like-minded partners to engage with the trilateral format. Their discussions in Athens concerned deepening practical cooperation and maintaining dialogue across the security and industrial areas they identified.