Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Dendias on Tuesday described Egypt as a “strategic and essential ally” for Greece and Cyprus, speaking after a trilateral meeting of the three countries’ defense ministers in Cairo.
Στην Τριμερή Συνάντηση με τους Υπουργούς Άμυνας της 🇪🇬 και της 🇨🇾 στο #Κάιρο, δώσαμε νέα ώθηση στην εμβάθυνση της στρατηγικής αμυντικής μας συνεργασίας.
Εστιάσαμε ιδιαίτερα στην ανάπτυξη συνεργειών ανάμεσα στα αμυντικά οικοσυστήματα των τριών χωρών.#Greece #Egypt #Cyprus pic.twitter.com/Ky2cexrJIH
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) September 22, 2026
Dendias said the meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Vasilis Palmas and Egypt’s Defense and Military Production Minister, Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher, marked another step in strengthening Greece-Cyprus-Egypt ties. He said he was particularly satisfied with the outcome of the talks.
Earlier Tuesday, Dendias was received by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
“This is another step in deepening Greek-Egyptian-Cypriot relations,” Dendias said, describing the meeting as a continuation of the trilateral leaders’ summit held recently in historic El Alamein.
Dendias referred to the joint statement issued after the defense ministers’ meeting, saying it was sufficiently clear and comprehensive.
He stressed that Greece’s relations with Egypt were not directed against any other country and were based on mutual trust and respect for international law and the law of the sea.
“We do not link our good relations with Egypt to our relations with any other state, nor do we regard our relations with Egypt as being directed against any other state,” Dendias said.
He also highlighted the bilateral agreements already concluded between Greece and Egypt, particularly the agreement delimiting their maritime exclusive economic zones, which he signed in 2020 when he was foreign minister, together with Egypt’s then-Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
The trilateral defense talks were focused on strengthening cooperation among the three countries’ armed forces, including joint exercises and training, operational interoperability, new technologies and defense innovation, as well as wider regional security challenges.
Dendias described the meeting as “another step” in Greek-Egyptian relations and reiterated Athens’ view that its partnership with Cairo rests on a lasting commitment to international law and the law of the sea.
