Egypt Hosts Sixth Greece-Cyprus Trilateral Defense Ministers' Meeting, Agrees Joint Rapid-Response Mechanism

Egyptian Defence Minister Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher hosted Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and Cypriot Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas in Cairo on September 22, 2026 for the sixth trilateral meeting of the three countries' defense ministers, with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi separately receiving both counterparts. The three sides agreed to strengthen joint protection of gas fields, supply lines and offshore energy infrastructure in the Eastern Mediterranean, and to improve coordination on a rapid, unified response to future security threats, including terrorism, smuggling, irregular migration, human trafficking and organized crime. They welcomed the results of the Medusa joint military exercises as having strengthened operational interoperability, reaffirmed commitment to the UN Charter and UNCLOS, and agreed the next trilateral defense dialogue will be held in Greece in 2027.