Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on Thursday, Sep...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on Thursday, September 24, on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly. The two leaders focused on defense cooperation, energy, and regional stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. Netanyahu welcomed Greece's selection of Israeli defense systems and stressed the strategic importance of the Greek-Israeli partnership for the broader region. Defense ties between Athens and Jerusalem have grown significantly in recent years, with joint exercises, training programs, and coordinated security efforts becoming a regular part of the relationship. Energy cooperation was also central to the talks. Greece, Cyprus, and Israel have been working toward stronger regional energy connectivity, including natural gas pipelines, electricity interconnections, and renewable projects that would eventually link the Eastern Mediterranean to European markets. The two leaders also discussed the Greece-Cyprus-Israel trilateral framework, which has become a key platform for security, energy, and maritime cooperation. The three governments last met at a summit in December 2025, where they reaffirmed plans to hold annual leaders' meetings and continue deepening cooperation across all three areas. Thursday's meeting in New York came at a moment of elevated regional tension, making coordination between Athens and Jerusalem particularly significant. Mitsotakis is also scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres and address the General Assembly as part of his broader diplomatic program this week. The Greek-Israeli relationship has taken on added weight as both countries navigate the security pressures building across the Eastern Mediterranean. #Greece #Israel #EasternMediterranean