Cyprus, Greece, and Egypt hold 6th trilateral defense meeting in Cairo

Defense ministers Vassilis Palmas of Cyprus and Nikos Dendias of Greece traveled to Cairo for the 6th trilateral defense meeting with their Egyptian counterpart, Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, held on September 22, 2026. The discussions focused on regional security developments, military cooperation, and strengthening the strategic partnership between the three nations.

Ahead of the ministerial summit, the officials engaged in separate bilateral meetings to review defense training and joint exercise programs. Additionally, both ministers held an audience with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi. Minister Dendias noted that the talks build upon recent high-level trilateral summits held in El Alamein, emphasizing that Egypt remains a vital strategic ally for both Greece and Cyprus. The ministers concluded the event by issuing a joint statement detailing the outcomes and future objectives of their collaborative security efforts.

This meeting followed the completion of the multinational "Medusa 15-2026" exercise in Crete, which featured air, naval, and special operations training, including defensive measures against drone swarm attacks involving forces from Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, France, and Italy.