The defence ministries of the Hellenic Republic, the Republic of Cyprus and Israel have deepened their defence co-operation while voicing opposition to the MoU agreed between Türkiye and the Government of National Accord-State of Libya on Delimitation of Maritime Jurisdiction Areas in the Mediterranean.
The defence ministries of the Hellenic Republic, the Republic of Cyprus and Israel deepened their defence co-operation at a trilateral meeting in Athens on 5 November 2026.
During the meeting, which brought together the heads of defence policy from the Hellenic, Cypriot and Israeli ministries of defence alongside other senior officials, the nations reaffirmed defence co-operation as a central pillar of the trilateral partnership, building on the Joint Declaration adopted at the Leaders’ Summit in Jerusalem on 22 December 2025. They also recalled the leaders’ invitation to other like-minded partners to engage with the trilateral framework.
During the meeting the sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace, stability, security and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider region. Discussions focused on regional security assessments; enhancing defence-industrial co-operation and defence innovation; maritime security, including the protection of vital sea lanes and critical infrastructure; and disaster preparedness, response and civil protection.
More controversially, in opposing unilateral claims, coercion, threats of force and destabilising military build-ups in the region, the three defence ministries asserted that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreed between Türkiye and the Government of National Accord-State of Libya on Delimitation of Maritime Jurisdiction Areas in the Mediterranean, which was ratified by the Libyan House of Representatives on 20 October 2026, infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states and disregards international norms that govern maritime jurisdiction and cannot produce any legal consequences for third states.
More positively, the three nations highlighted energy co-operation as a pillar of regional stability and resilience, opposing attempts to obstruct it contrary to international law. They also underlined the importance of freedom of navigation and the protection of critical infrastructure and energy supply routes for security and prosperity in Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
The sides emphasised that the trilateral partnership, “rooted in shared democratic values and complementary strategic interests, serves as a platform for strategic co-ordination and a framework for responsible regional engagement” that “contributes to the security of the Eastern Mediterranean and strengthens the links between Europe and the Middle East”.
The trilateral meeting follows on from the Cypriot government signing an order for a new, Israeli-designed offshore patrol vessel (OPV) on 26 October 2026, in addition to an upgrade of its existing Israeli-made OPV Commodore Andreas Ioannides (P61), which will take place in parallel with the new acquisition.
On 31 August 2026 Israel and Greece signed the substantial Achilles Shield agreement, under which Israel will build Greece a multi-layered air defence network based on Israeli architecture, including the David’s Sling and Spyder systems manufactured by Rafael, and the Barak MX system manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries. Valued at around EUR 3 billion, this constitutes the largest defence export deal in the history of Israeli-Greek relations and one of the largest in Israeli history.
