THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Under heavy security, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in northern Greece to discuss plans to become a key supplier of European energy through an ambitious Mediterranean undersea natural gas pipeline project.

Netanyahu met in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, while Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades was also due to attend the talks.

More than 3,500 police officers were deployed for security around the city, which historically had a large Jewish community that was almost wiped out during the Nazi occupation in World War Two.

Israel is hoping to export much of its newly discovered natural gas to Europe by a proposed undersea pipeline to Cyprus and Greece.