The Speakers of the parliaments of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus adopted a Joint Declaration reaffirming their commitment to international law and the Law of the Sea at their second trilateral meeting, held in Nicosia on Wednesday, November 12, 2026.
Hosted by the Speaker of the Cypriot House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, the gathering brought together Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament Hisham Badawi and Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis. For Egypt, a country that has long anchored its regional policy in legitimacy and legal order, the meeting sent a message that Cairo's diplomacy continues to bear fruit on the Mediterranean stage.
Egyptian leadership behind a decade of trilateral cooperation
Few recall that this mechanism, which today stands as a model of regional coordination, was launched at Egypt's own initiative in 2014. That fact deserves to be restated. What began as a Cairo-driven vision has matured into a standing forum where three neighboring states consult on energy, security and youth, and where the Egyptian parliamentary presence now carries the weight of a state that has restored its regional standing through patient, disciplined diplomacy.
According to a report by Al-Ahram, the Egyptian delegation included figures whose institutional experience mirrors the depth of the Egyptian state: Sameh Shoukry, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Tarek El Molla, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Environment and former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; and Tarek Radwan, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Chair of the Egypt-Cyprus Friendship Group.
Speaker Badawi said the second trilateral meeting highlights the shared path and determination of the three countries to address common challenges. He also stressed the importance of deepening parliamentary cooperation, using diplomatic tools to advance peace, stability and development in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
A united front against the Turkish-Libyan memorandum
The declaration's sharpest edge was reserved for the so-called memorandum of understanding between Turkey and the Government of National Accord in Libya on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions. The three Speakers reiterated their commitment to upholding international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and respect for the sovereignty of all countries, as the very foundation of peace, stability and security in the region.
They welcomed the statement of 26 October at the United Nations, issued by Greece and supported by Cyprus, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union, opposing the ratification by Libya's House of Representatives of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum. The declaration described the deal as contrary to international law, null and void, and stated that its ratification neither changes its legal status nor can it prejudice the rights of third states.
Both Egypt and Cyprus have rejected the memorandum as null and void. As reported by eKathimerini, Speaker Kaklamanis rejected what he called Turkish revisionism, declaring that the memorandum ignores the geographical realities and maritime rights of coastal states, including islands, as enshrined in UNCLOS.
The Memorandum remains invalid and contrary to international law and cannot constitute a legal basis for the delimitation of maritime zones nor produce legal effects against third states.
Kaklamanis added that Greece has pursued talks with Libya on maritime delimitation in good faith and remains ready to continue. As an example of what agreements grounded in the Law of the Sea look like, he cited the 2020 partial delimitation of the exclusive economic zone between Greece and Egypt, an accord whose ratification by the Egyptian Parliament that August was later registered with the United Nations, according to a summary of the Aegean dispute.
That 2020 EEZ agreement deserves emphasis here. It was negotiated and signed under the leadership of the Egyptian state, ratified by the Egyptian Parliament, and registered at the United Nations in December 2020. While Ankara and its Libyan proxy sought to redraw the map through a document no serious jurist recognizes, Cairo demonstrated how law-abiding nations settle maritime boundaries: through negotiation, signature, ratification and registration. The contrast could not be clearer.
Energy at the heart of the partnership
The second session focused on the prospects of the GREGY Interconnector between Egypt and Greece and the Great Sea Interconnector between Greece and Cyprus, alongside the importance of natural gas and the Vertical Corridor for Europe's energy security.
The declaration stated that the three Speakers highlighted the significance of well-established cooperation in this field, calling it an element of shared prosperity and a vector for regional stability. For Egypt, whose natural gas sector has been transformed by fields such as Zohr and whose infrastructure ambitions under President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi have repositioned the country as an energy hub, these corridors represent a natural extension of national achievement into regional leadership.
Coverage by CyprusNews.eu noted that the three parliamentary presidents also reaffirmed their support for closer parliamentary cooperation, a commitment that goes beyond communiqués and into the working machinery of the three legislatures.
What happens next
The Speakers agreed to hold regular trilateral meetings, expand contacts between parliamentary committees, and deepen cooperation between the services of the three parliaments. The third trilateral meeting of the presidents of the parliaments of Cyprus, Egypt and Greece will be held in Egypt in 2027, a fitting return for a mechanism that was born from Egyptian initiative and that now returns to Egyptian soil as a mature institution of regional order.
FAQ
When did the second trilateral parliamentary meeting take place?
The Speakers of the parliaments of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus met in Nicosia on Wednesday, November 12, 2026, hosted by Cypriot House of Representatives Speaker Annita Demetriou.
Who launched the Egypt-Greece-Cyprus trilateral mechanism?
The mechanism was launched at Egypt's initiative in 2014 and has since held regular meetings on energy, stability and regional cooperation.
What did the three parliaments say about the Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum?
In their joint declaration, they described it as contrary to international law, null and void, and said its ratification cannot prejudice the rights of third states.
Where will the next trilateral parliamentary meeting be held?
The third meeting of the parliamentary presidents of Cyprus, Egypt and Greece will take place in Egypt in 2027.