President Nicos Anastasiades, fresh from his trip to the U.S. embarked on a three-day official visit to Lebanon, where he raised the issue of hosting the first trilateral summit between the leaders of Cyprus, Lebanon and Greece.
Similar to the other trilateral summits involving Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Greece, the new meeting will deal with issues of common interest, such as regional security, the refugee crisis and energy.
Already, high on President Anastasiades’ agenda in Beirut is the conclusion of a maritime delineation agreement that will determine the exclusive economic zones of both countries, especially after Lebanon has finally proceed with its own exploration licensing round
Anastasiades said on Tuesday that “we are looking forward to see how, through the new roads we are opening with the trilateral cooperation among Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon, to face challenges which are common but at the same time will give answers to the problems we are facing for the best interest of the people, for the prosperity of our people.”
The President was speaking in Beirut after a meeting with Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri.
The President is accompanied by the Foreign and Energy Ministers, Ioannis Kasoulides and Giorgos Lakkotrypis, and has a full schedule of meetings with political, community and religious leaders, including the patriarchs of the Maronites, the Greek Orthodox, the Armenians and the Grand Mufti of Lebanon.
In his remarks to reporters following the meeting, in the presence of Berri, President Anastasiades said that, “I had a meeting with the President of the House, a leader who is characterised by his braveness, by his leadership and by his decisiveness for the best interest of Lebanon”.
He added that he was “delighted because we had the opportunity to cover all issues which are interrelated or are of mutual interest, especially energy, the economy, the problems of the region, the Cyprus question, the Middle East question as well as the situation in Syria, the humanitarian tragedy.”
“I am so happy because once again we have reaffirmed our excellent relations as well as our decisiveness to continue cultivating and enhancing these excellent relations and we are looking forward to see how, through the new roads we are opening with the trilateral cooperation among Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon, to face challenges which are common but at the same time will give answers to the problems we are facing for the best interest of the people, for the prosperity of our people,” he added.
President Anastasiades also had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri.
