A trilateral summit between the leaders of Greece, Cyprus and Israel will take place soon to finalize energy cooperation between the eastern Mediterranean allies, Israeli officials said Wednesday.
The gathering, which is slated to be held in Cyprus, comes amid blossoming relations between Israel and both Cyprus and Greece in a variety of fields including energy, defense, tourism, high-tech and cybersecurity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and newly reelected Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed during a congratulatory phone call that the trilateral meeting should take place “as soon as possible,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said.
The two leaders also agreed to further cooperation in additional fields, including technology and artificial intelligence.
Earlier this month, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said that the relationship between Cyprus, Greece and Israel has developed into a “strategic partnership” based on a shared vision for a thriving eastern Mediterranean.
The summit will be held amid the construction of an “energy highway” that will connect the national electricity grids of Israel, Cyprus and Greece.
The mammoth, European Union-backed project is going forward as the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia are fueling a global energy crisis that has hit the European Union hard, spotlighting the continent’s dependence on foreign sources.