Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, with defense, energy and regional security at the center of their talks. The meeting came shortly before Netanyahu addressed world leaders at the 81st General Assembly session.
According to Netanyahu’s office, he stressed “the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries for regional stability” and welcomed Greece’s decision to buy Israeli defense systems. The two leaders also discussed energy cooperation, preparations for another trilateral summit with Cyprus and “developments in the region.” The statement did not identify those regional developments.
Greek PM Mitsotakis and Netanyahu build on expanding defense ties
The talks came less than a month after Greece and Israel signed a major defense agreement for the “Achilles Shield” program. Greece’s Defense Ministry said the €3.035 billion ($3.45 billion) project will create an integrated system designed to counter aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, supported by a unified command-and-control network.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis @kmitsotakis on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership between the countries for regional… pic.twitter.com/71ANEAiJMV
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 24, 2026
The Aug. 31 agreement provides for immediate implementation and includes participation by Greek defense and technology companies. Israel’s Defense Ministry has described the deal as the largest defense export agreement in the history of Israel-Greece relations.
Energy was another part of Thursday’s discussion. The public readout did not name a specific project, but Greece, Cyprus and Israel have been working on closer electricity and energy links in the eastern Mediterranean. One of those efforts is the Great Sea Interconnector, which is planned to connect Greece and Cyprus before extending the electricity link to Israel.
Trilateral cooperation returns to the UN agenda
Netanyahu and Mitsotakis also discussed preparations for another summit involving Greece, Cyprus and Israel. The three countries held their 10th trilateral summit in Jerusalem in December 2025, where the leaders focused on security, defense, energy and regional connectivity.
Their energy relationship has also expanded beyond the planned electricity link. The United States, Greece, Cyprus and Israel established an Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center earlier this year to support regional energy cooperation and infrastructure.
Netanyahu’s meeting with Mitsotakis was part of a wider series of diplomatic meetings around his short visit to New York. His office had also listed meetings with several other leaders during the trip. Hours later, Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly, where he defended Israel’s actions against Iran and rejected accusations of genocide in Gaza.
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