Greece, Cyprus, Egypt leaders discuss expanding Mediterranean energy deals

The leaders of Greece, Egypt and Cyprus met on the island of Crete on Wednesday to discuss furthering regional cooperation, including oil and gas exploration rights in the east Mediterranean. Efforts to combat illegal immigration to Europe were also on the agenda, AP reported. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras hosted the sixth meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. War-divided Cyprus and Egypt are both at odds with Turkey over Mediterranean exploration boundaries. Greece is moving ahead with plans to explore for oil and natural gas in the Ionian Sea and south of Crete. The plans prompted the environmental group Greenpeace to write an open letter to the three leaders, urging them to abandon fossil fuel expansion and switch to common initiatives on renewable energy.