LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Leaders from Egypt, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration have come together Wednesday for the second time in six months to talk about energy and security issues.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, and head of the Greek Cypriot administration Nicos Anastasiades held a trilateral summit in Lefkosa -- a follow-up to the meeting that was held on Nov. 8, 2014.
Sisi, Greece's then-Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Anastasiades had signed the "Cairo Declaration" during their tripartite talks in Cairo.
They had agreed to "urgently" resume negotiations on defining their countries' maritime boundaries and underlined the importance of respecting the "sovereignty of Cyprus over its own economic zone."
In Wednesday's summit, the leaders also talked about terror, Tsipras said, speaking in a joint press conference with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
Voicing his concern over the developments in the Middle East and Western Africa, he said they decided to strengthen cooperation in order to "deal with terror in the region."
The cooperation between Egypt, Greece, and the Greek Cypriot administration is strategically important in the region where there is widespread instability, Tsipras said.
He said they have reached agreement during the trilateral summit on further improving talks over the exclusive economic zone, which refers to a state's control over fishery and similar rights.
Stating that the issue of improving relations between the three countries in fields of trade and economy was one of the main agenda items in the summit, Greek Prime Minister said it was highly significant that Greek companies have roles in the restructuring of Egypt.
The mutual vision of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration over the Cyprus issue is to find a permanent and fair solution within the scope of UN principles, Tsipras said, adding that Greece supports negotiations over Cyprus.
Negotiations between Turkish and Greek-Cypriots had resumed after a two-year pause in February 2013 with a joint declaration outlining the details of a federal state re-uniting the island after the previous round collapsed partly because of the Eurozone debt crisis.
However, the Greek Cypriot administration suspended the most recent talks in October 2014 after Turkey sent a ship to explore for oil and gas off the coast of the island.
Cyprus has remained divided into Greek and Turkish parts since a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by a Turkish peace mission to aid Turkish Cypriots in the north in 1974.
The Greek PM also said that his country will "closely and hopefully" follow the developments after Mustafa Akinci has been elected as the new president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Anastasiades also said he expects Turkey's support for a fair solution on the island and that he would do his best to cooperate with Akinci.
Sisi, meanwhile, pointing to the problems in the Middle East, has said his country as well as Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration have reached a consensus over an independent Palestinian state on the "1967 borders" with its capital as Eastern Jerusalem.
