(from left) The foreign ministers of Cyprus, Greece and Israel, and Adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates hold a press conference after their meeting on Friday. AFP
PAPHOS: Cyprus hosted a meeting on Friday of top diplomats from Israel and the UAE, as well as Greece, for talks they said reflected the “changing face” of the Middle East.
“This new strategic membership stretches from the shores of the Arabian Gulf” to the Mediterranean and Europe, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told a news conference in the coastal resort city of Paphos.
Standing alongside Anwar Gargash, advisor to Emirati President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, he said their encounter was a sign of “the changing face of the Middle East”.