Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of the Greek Cypriot administration Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis discussed Gaza and Lebanon at a trilateral summit held in El Alamein, in northern Egypt.
According to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency, the leaders called for the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza plan and an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Support for Gaza and a Palestinian state
The sides said the second phase of the Gaza plan and the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 were important for beginning reconstruction and early recovery efforts and delivering humanitarian aid to civilians.
At the trilateral summit, the sides reaffirmed their support for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital and established on the basis of the June 4, 1967 borders, in line with United Nations resolutions.
The leaders said the geographic, political and legal unity between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip must be preserved. The three sides rejected efforts to separate the two regions and forcibly displace Palestinians.
Calls on Lebanon and Libya
The meeting called for an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the country. The leaders supported strengthening Lebanese state institutions, particularly the armed forces, and said the state must be able to exercise its authority and sovereignty throughout the country.
On Libya, the sides reiterated their support for the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity. They called for support for a Libyan-led political process, the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from the country, and the simultaneous holding of presidential and parliamentary elections.
Cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean
The three leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. They agreed to expand cooperation under the trilateral mechanism launched in Cairo in November 2014.
They said agreements and understandings on maritime boundaries should be concluded in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The meeting also addressed trade, investment, energy, tourism, education, culture, migration and employment, as well as security cooperation and efforts to combat organized crime and irregular migration.
El-Sisi said cooperation under the trilateral mechanism should continue to be developed. Christodoulides and Mitsotakis reaffirmed their determination to deepen relations.
The sides agreed to hold the 11th trilateral summit in the Greek Cypriot administration, but no date was announced for the meeting.
