Cyprus and Egypt discuss security challenges in East Med

Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas met Egypt’s Border Guard Forces chief, Lieutenant General Osama Abdel Hamid Mohamed Daoud, on Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation and security challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean. According to a post on X by the defence ministry, the meeting focused on bilateral cooperation and security issues affecting the wider Eastern Mediterranean region. The meeting follows the recent trilateral meeting of the defence ministers of Cyprus, Greece and Egypt where talks were held between Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation in defence and security. Cyprus, Greece and Egypt have agreed to strengthen joint protection of gas fields, supply lines and offshore energy infrastructure in the Eastern Mediterranean, amid heightened security concerns across the region. They also agreed to deepen military and defence cooperation to strengthen their collective ability to provide a “rapid and unified response” to future threats against the three countries.