Speaking at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the three countries intended to advance an initiative to connect India to Europe via the Middle East by sea and rail, as well as deepen security cooperation.
Relations between the eastern Mediterranean neighbours have grown stronger over the past decade, with shared concerns over Turkey's influence in the region.
Christodoulides described the projects as offering a, "southeastern gateway connecting Europe with the Middle East and beyond."
The three countries said they would also seek to advance an undersea power cable project to integrate their electricity grids with Europe and the Arabian Peninsula.
Mitsotakis said Greece was a gateway for liquefied natural gas. "(It) is a new energy hub in southeastern Europe." Interconnection projects, he said, remained a key priority for the three countries.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen told Reuters after the press conference the trilateral meeting was important since it comes when there are, “countries that are working to uproot regional stability." He did not identify the countries.
(Reporting by Emily Rose, Michele Kambas and Steven Scheer; editing by Mark Heinrich, Rod Nickel)
