Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus signed an MoU on joint cooperation on tourism during a trilateral summit in Nicosia yesterday, according to an Ittihadiya statement. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras discussed “forging closer ties and boosting cooperation on issues including energy following the discovery of gas deposits in the east Mediterranean,” Ekathimerini notes. This came one day after El Sisi and Anastasiades reportedly began talks over constructing a natural gas pipeline connecting both countries. Talks over a gas pipeline that connects all the way to Italy via Cyprus and Greece are also expected to take place in early December.

The three leaders also agreed to enhance efforts to rein in illegal migration and step up the fight against terrorism along the east Mediterranean with help from the EU. “The problem isn’t confined to countries in the region, but is expanding and is threatening the European Union’s cohesion,” Anastasiades said, calling on the international community to act more swiftly to “[disrupt] sources of financing and arming of terror groups.”

Counterterrorism and achieving regional stability were on El Sisi’s mind during a press conference after the summit. The president said the resolution of outstanding issues in Palestine and Cyprus is key to stability. He also pointed to the crises in Syria and Libya, confirming that they would take precedence in future trilateral talks.

El Sisi also discussed CT efforts and cooperation with Tsipras in a one-on-one meeting yesterday on the sidelines of the summit.