Tourism, bilateral relations and Turkey were high on the agenda of the meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during his first visit abroad after the pandemic lockdown.
“Israel will allow flights to Greece, Cyprus on August 1, if the virus stats are good,” Netanyahu said during a joint press conference.
Mitsotakis repeated that Greece’s top priority is safety and health.
The two leaders made special reference to the strong ties of friendship and history between the two countries, the common interests and challenges.
Mitsotakis mentioned “Turkey’s aggressive behavior in the eastern Mediterranean”, saying that its actions are a threat against stability and peace in the region.
“We will always seek peace, with respect for international law,” the Greek Prime Minister stressed, adding that this is exactly what the country did when it signed an agreement with Italy a few days ago on the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
He also said that he and the Israeli Prime Minister had taken part in a joint initiative of countries for the smart management of the coronavirus pandemic.
During his visit to Isreael he would meet with Israeli investors. “We offer you a gateway to the European market,” Mitsotakis said adding that the two countries will sign protocols on agriculture and cyber-security.
“We can do much more in the field of defense cooperation. We talked about East Med, and about Turkey’s actions. The Turkish actions are a threat to the region. We will always seek peace in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said, adding that the two countries’ strategic relationship could be further strengthened.
On his part, Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of the enormous opportunities between the two countries, stressing that “prosperity can only be ensured through cooperation and security.”
“Greece has great talent and scientists. But Israel also has guarantees in this area. Greece has opportunities for investment “, the Israeli Prime Minister underlined, noting that the number of Israeli visitors to Greece has tripled in recent years, and in particular that 1.2 million Israelis visited Greece last year.
All social distancing measures were nicely kept during his arrival in Tel Aviv.
