NICOSIA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus, Greece and Jordan said after a meeting of their foreign ministers in Nicosia on Wednesday that they will work together to strengthen cooperation on security in the region of the eastern Mediterranean.

"We share the understanding that our cooperation contributes to our common goal of promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in our region", Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said in presenting a joint statement to the press.

Greek Alternate Foreign Minister, Giorgos Katroungalos and Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Al Safadi, were the other two participants.

The meeting was part of regular contacts within the framework of cooperation agreements Cyprus and Greece developed with eastern Mediterranean countries Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine.

"We have committed ourselves to work for the promotion of the peace process in the Middle East, to help fight terrorism and promote security, including energy security", Christodoulides said.

He added that Cyprus and Greece will continue to actively advocate the strengthening of relations between the European Union and Jordan, considering that the Hashemite Kingdom is a vital EU partner in the region.

The ministers said that their meeting was preparatory for a summit of the three countries to be held in Jordan next year.

The meeting came on the eve of yet another tripartite summit of Israel, Cyprus and Greece to be held in the Israeli city of Beer Sheba on Thursday.

The three countries consider the meeting to be important as the American Ambassador to Israel, David Freedman, will be in attendance for the first time as an indication of U.S. support for the development of their cooperation, the Cyprus News Agency reported on Wednesday.

Cypriot officials said the leaders of the three countries will focus on cooperation in the sectors of defense and intelligence exchanges, security, economy, energy, including building a natural gas to Europe, and fighting cyber threats.

They will also sign bilateral and trilateral agreements of cooperation in several sectors, including meteorology.

Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post said an indication of the deepening relations of the three countries will establish a permanent secretariat to coordinate action.

It also said that the United States, increasingly concerned about Russia's advance in the Eastern Mediterranean, has expressed both heightened interest and support of Israeli, Greek and Cypriot cooperation.

Cyprus and Israel concluded a three-day annual military drill on Wednesday, in which Cypriot military units and Israel aircraft took part, the Cypriot Ministry of Defense said in a statement. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)