Cyprus joins Medusa military exercise south of Crete
Forces from Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, France and Italy took part in naval and air activities during the Medusa exercise.
Athens, Greece. The multinational military exercise Medusa was conducted south of Crete on Thursday, involving naval and air forces from Greece, Egypt, France, Italy and Cyprus.
Preparatory operations began southeast of Crete, with warships and fighter aircraft taking part.
Exercise area
The exercise is being held in a sea area reserved by Greece through a Navtex in the southeastern Cretan Sea.
The area lies within a wider zone where Turkey has asserted maritime claims under its memorandum with Libya.
Regional cooperation
Medusa is taking place days after the trilateral summit of Cyprus, Greece and Egypt in El Alamein, where the three countries reaffirmed their intention to cooperate on regional security and stability.
In a joint declaration following the summit, President Nikos Christodoulides, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said they sought to “uphold security and stability in the region”.
The leaders also stressed the importance of resolving disputes through diplomatic means and respecting national sovereignty and international law. They said maritime jurisdiction agreements should be based on international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Previous participation
The exercise comes as the participating countries continue military and diplomatic cooperation in the Levant.
Cyprus has taken part in previous editions of Medusa, which is organised primarily by Greece and Egypt.
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