Netanyahu to Embark on Cyprus Visit for Talks With Cypriot and Greek Leaders

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is scheduled to depart on Sunday for a two-day diplomatic mission to Cyprus, where he will engage in discussions with his counterparts from Cyprus and Greece.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is scheduled to depart on Sunday for a two-day diplomatic mission to Cyprus, where he will engage in discussions with his counterparts from Cyprus and Greece.

On Sunday afternoon, Netanyahu will hold a bilateral meeting with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, followed by a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday. The agenda also includes a trilateral gathering of all three leaders on Monday afternoon.

This trilateral framework, established since January 2016, serves as a platform for periodic discussions on various regional issues. A primary focus of these meetings is the management of gas deposits in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the complex relationships with Turkey, a challenge faced by all parties involved.

Of note, Israel’s NewMed Energy currently holds a minority stake in the Aphrodite gas field, situated within Cypriot economic waters. Negotiations regarding the development of Aphrodite involve Cyprus, alongside major American drilling companies, Chevron and Shell, who are co-owners.

Cyprus and Israel are also exploring alternative pipeline projects for transporting fuel across the Mediterranean, following delays in the jointly developed EastMed pipeline project, which involves Israel, Cyprus, and Greece.

Instead of connecting Israeli offshore gas fields directly to Europe, Cyprus has been considering a solution that links Israeli gas reserves to Cyprus. From there, the gas could be liquefied and shipped onward.

It’s worth noting that Cyprus and Greece have long-standing strained relations with Turkey, a legacy of Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus, which resulted in the occupation of nearly half of the island. Turkey supports a separate government in the northern part of the island, which remains unrecognized as a sovereign state by any country except Turkey.

In contrast, Israel and Turkey recently mended their ties in 2022 after years of tension, with Ankara recalling its ambassadors from Tel Aviv twice during that period.

Tensions between the nations reached a climax in 2010 when a Turkish ship attempted to breach Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip. Several Turkish citizens were killed during confrontations when Israeli troops boarded the vessel. Although relations saw a brief improvement in 2016, Turkey once again recalled its ambassador in 2018 in protest against the IDF’s actions during clashes with Palestinian protesters along the Gaza-Israel border, part of the Great Return March led by the Hamas terrorist group.