Medusa exercises involving five countries held south of Crete
Multinational military exercises Medusa involving forces from Greece, Egypt, France, Italy and Cyprus were held south of Crete in Greece. Maritime and air operations were conducted as part of the exercises, Cyprus Mail reports.
Maritime and air operations
Preparatory activities began southeast of Crete. Warships and fighter jets were involved. The exercises took place in an area of the southeastern part of the Cretan Sea that Greece reserved through NAVTEX.
This body of water is part of a broader zone over which Turkey asserts its own maritime claims under a memorandum with Libya.
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Cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt
The Medusa exercises took place several days after a trilateral summit of Cyprus, Greece and Egypt in El Alamein. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated in a joint declaration their intention to support security and stability in the region.
The leaders also stressed the need to settle disputes through diplomatic means, respect national sovereignty and international law. They noted that agreements on maritime jurisdiction must be based on international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Cyprus has already participated in previous Medusa exercises, which are mainly organized by Greece and Egypt.
