Gerapetritis highlights Cyprus, 3+1 in talks with Rubio

Cyprus’ role in the security architecture of the Eastern Mediterranean and the further strengthening of the 3+1 format with Greece, Israel and the United States were highlighted by Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis on Wednesday, following his talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Athens. Speaking alongside Rubio as part of the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, Gerapetritis placed Cyprus within the broader regional security framework, while reiterating Athens’ position on the need for a settlement based on international law and UN Security Council resolutions. “It is necessary to find a solution for the reunification of Cyprus based on the decisions of the UN Security Council, while consistently preventing any revisionist threat,” he said. Gerapetritis also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation mechanisms, singling out the 3+1 format bringing together Greece, Cyprus and Israel with the United States. He said the mechanism had developed into a particularly strong geopolitical and multilateral framework, making specific reference to Rubio’s contribution to its development. The two ministers announced a further expansion of Greek-US cooperation in security, defence, energy and intelligence sharing. Athens and Washington also signed a new memorandum on information sharing and agreed to deepen energy cooperation, including through increased supplies of US liquefied natural gas to Europe, as well as their defence relationship within Nato. “In conditions of intensifying competition, the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue is a constant that reflects the high level of our relations and the promotion of international and regional stability and security,” Gerapetritis said. Energy featured prominently in the talks, with Greece presenting itself as an important hub for bringing US LNG into European markets. Gerapetritis described the Vertical Corridor as the “backbone” for transporting American LNG towards Europe and said the Greek-owned shipping fleet carries around a quarter of US LNG. Rubio reiterated Washington’s commitment to energy cooperation with Athens, linking energy security directly with national and international security. He said international developments had demonstrated the importance of diversifying energy sources. Referring more broadly to energy projects involving other countries, Rubio said some concerned “sensitive situations” and suggested certain issues could be better addressed through private initiatives and in the appropriate forums. “We are absolutely committed to energy cooperation with Greece because it is in the interest of global security,” he said. Defence was another major component of the talks. Gerapetritis highlighted the strategic importance of Souda and Alexandroupolis for the US presence in the region and pointed to Greece’s F-16 Viper programme and the planned incorporation of F-35 fighter aircraft as examples of the expanding bilateral defence relationship. Rubio described Greece as a “safe and stable Nato ally”, saying the relationship between Athens and Washington had become increasingly important amid international instability extending from Iran and the Strait of Hormuz to Yemen and Ukraine. “This is an alliance of a historic nature with strong foundations, which constitutes a source of stability,” Rubio said. “We are grateful that Greece is a great ally.” The talks also addressed maritime security and the potential role Greece could play in securing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Asked whether Athens could support the United States through the Souda base, Gerapetritis said Greek foreign policy was consistently guided by respect for international law and support for those defending themselves against aggression. He pointed to Greece’s leading role in the EU’s Aspides operation in the Red Sea and said Athens could, if necessary, provide naval assistance to the United States in the Strait of Hormuz as part of an operation aimed at ensuring safe passage and provided there was a viable peace process. Greece had a direct interest in keeping maritime routes secure, he added, because both energy security and the functioning of international supply chains depended on them. The Greek foreign minister also referred to developments in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as instability in sub-Saharan Africa and its impact on migration. He cited the protection of Christian populations in the Middle East and the need to address nationalism in the Balkans among Greece’s wider foreign policy concerns. Gerapetritis said Greece continued to maintain defence expenditure above the agreed Nato threshold and sought to act as a security provider, including through its role in the Aspides and Atalanta maritime operations. He closed by stressing the historical foundations and shared values underpinning Greek-US relations, referring to the two countries’ revolutions and Thomas Jefferson’s correspondence with Greek scholar Adamantios Korais during the Greek War of Independence.