​ (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara were welcomed, this morning (Tuesday, 8 May 2018), at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia by Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and his wife Andri.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu held private meetings with Cypriot President Anastasiades and afterwards with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
 
The three leaders then held a trilateral meeting and are now holding an expanded meeting, with ministers and entourages. Among the topics under discussion are laying the gas pipeline, regional issues and promoting cooperation between the countries on various issues.
 
After the expanded meeting, the following agreements will be signed:
 

• A public security cooperation agreement with Cyprus to allow the countries' relevant authorities to hold ongoing contacts on the fight against crime;

 

• A cinema co-production agreement with Cyprus that will aid the Israeli cinema industry by recognizing Israeli-Cypriot co-productions as eligible for Israeli government financial support;

 

• A trilateral agreement on preventing maritime pollution, the goal of which is to render practical assistance in dealing with oil pollution at sea by bringing about quicker and more effective response and treatment operations.

 

• A trilateral MOU on communications, the goal of which is to foster cooperation in laying fiber optic cables; and

 

• A renewed agreement with Greece (in continuation of a 2017 framework agreement) focusing on lowering reciprocal data roaming costs.

 
The three leaders also signed a joint declaration.

Following is an excerpt from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks today at the signing of the joint declaration:
 
"You said, Mr. President, a minute ago, that it is unimaginable that anyone would challenge the right of the State of Israel to exist. In fact, there is a force that is doing precisely that, and that is the regime in Tehran. It openly calls daily for our destruction, the elimination of Israel from the face of the earth, and it practices unmitigated aggression against us and against anyone else in the region. It has a terror network that is spread throughout the world. It is now seeking to implant very dangerous weapons in Syria to be used against Israel for the specific purpose of our destruction.
 
It is in the interest of everyone to prevent this Iranian aggression. If they reach the Mediterranean, they wish to establish military naval bases in the Mediterranean for Iranian ships and Iranian submarines. This is a palpable threat against all of us.
 
I think that everybody recognizes the malign intentions of Iran, and I think everybody also recognizes Israel’s right of self-defense, which is really our common defense."