Cyprus Participates in Multinational “Medusa” Exercises South of Crete

Cyprus is participating in the multinational “Medusa” naval and air force exercises, which began south of Crete. Greece, Egypt, France and Italy are also taking part alongside Cyprus: the countries have sent warships and aircraft to the exercise area.

Athens issued a NAVTEX — a navigational warning for mariners — reserving a maritime area southeast of Crete for the initial stages of the exercises. This area partially falls within a zone claimed by Turkey under the memorandum on the delimitation of maritime areas signed with Libya.

The exercises are taking place several days after a trilateral meeting of Cyprus, Greece and Egypt in El Alamein. In a joint statement, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to regional security and said that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“Medusa” is conducted mainly by Greece and Egypt, while Cyprus regularly participates in the exercises. In recent years, the participating states have coordinated military and diplomatic steps in the region.