On December 9, Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus held a summit in Athens, Greece, where the leaders of the three countries attended and issued the "Athens Declaration." The declaration states that the three countries will establish a permanent cooperation mechanism to promote stability, peace, and prosperity in the region, and to support international cooperation in addressing the current refugee crisis and the threat of terrorism. The cooperation among the three countries is not only beneficial for the stable development of the Mediterranean region but also advantageous in attracting more investors to choose immigrate to Greece or immigrate to Cyprus in search of broader overseas investment opportunities.
On the issue of exploring natural gas in the Mediterranean, the leaders of the three countries agreed to accelerate negotiations to resolve the delimitation of exclusive economic zones as soon as possible.
Tsipras stated to the media after the meeting that the trilateral cooperation is the cornerstone of broader regional peace and stability. Sisi remarked that the summit demonstrated the determination of the three countries to continue promoting progress and growth. Anastasiades noted that the dialogue and cooperation among the three countries contribute to the implementation of international law and strengthen security, peace, stability, and development in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
The leaders of Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus previously held trilateral summits in November 2014 and in April of this year in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, respectively.