Greece and Israel have forged an enduring partnership at a strategic level, which is based on their common interests and converging perspectives on many challenges, as well as a shared respect for an international order that is based on international rules and a shared vision for their neighborhood, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday in joint statements with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, after their meeting in Jerusalem.
Dendias also thanked Cohen for the clear statement he made earlier about respecting the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Greece and underlined that close ties of friendship and mutual respect create a positive environment for bilateral relations.
It should be noted that this was the first time that an Israeli foreign minister made an explicit statement in support of the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Greece in the context of joint statements.
In addition, Dendias announced that revisionism and violations of the principles of International Law cannot be accepted, adding that the international community sends and must send the strongest message of condemnation.
During the meeting, Dendias informed Cohen about the challenges Greece faces from Turkey, “which systematically violates our territory, air space, uses hybrid tactics, escalates tensions, including open threats of invasion or (the launch) of a ballistic missile at Athens.” Such behaviour are a threat to an international order governed by rules, he underlined, while highlighting the need to respect International Law and the Law of the Sea.
Referring to the talks with is Israeli counterpart, Dendias said that they discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in various areas of common interest. Indicatively, he mentioned energy, defence, investments, the economy, tourism, the supply chain, crisis management, the environment and start-ups. Highlighting the scope for developing bilateral relations, he said that the sky is the limit.
He particularly emphasised energy as a field of cooperation, saying that they discussed the Asia-Europe electrical interconnection with a cable that will connect Israel, Cyprus and Greece, as well as the EastMed, with the Greek foreign minister seizing the opportunity to inform Cohen that Greece is becoming a reliable energy hub. Emphasis was also placed on cooperation in the field of renewable energy.
Furthermore, the two ministers discussed investments, declaring that Greece wants to attract more of them.
Dendias stressed Greece’s role as an EU member-state for strengthening relations between Israel and the EU.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
