Egypt hosts Greece, Cyprus defense ministers: What to know

Egypt hosted the defense ministers of Greece and Cyprus for a trilateral summit and talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday as Cairo works to boost military ties with the two eastern Mediterranean states. 

What happened: Sisi held separate meetings with Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias and Cypriot Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas in Cairo. The Egyptian head of state discussed ways to strengthen security and military ties, as well as cooperation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea with each minister. The meetings were attended by Egyptian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher in addition to other military and diplomatic officials from the countries, Egypt’s State Information Service reported. 

The same day, Zaher presided over a trilateral session with both Dendias and Palmas. 

They discussed ways to boost cooperation between their respective countries via joint exercises and training activities, operational interoperability and collaboration in new technologies as well as security challenges in the wider region, the Greek Defense Ministry said in a statement.