Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos met today, Wednesday, 25 September, on the margins of the UN General Assembly, with representatives of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the American Jewish Committee, the World Jewish Congress, B’nai B’rith, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the World Jewish Congress, and the Antidefamation League.
During the meeting, Mr. Venizelos referred to the strong, historical ties of friendship and cooperation that exist between Greeks and Jews in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as between members of the Greek and Jewish Diasporas throughout the world. Moreover, he went into depth on Greece’s stance on all the major issues facing the international community, and especially issues concerning the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa.
Having outlined political and economic developments in Greece, praising the successes that have been achieved in the economic and other sectors thanks to the sacrifices of the Greek people, Mr. Venizelos underscored the importance to Greece of the unwavering enforcement of existing anti-racist legislation and of the categorical condemnation of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and the instigation of ethnic or religious violence as extreme criminal acts. He also stressed that the neo-Nazi elements assailing Democracy and the Rule of Law will be marginalized by Greek society, which, in its vast majority, deplores intolerance and violence.
Finally, Mr. Venizelos referred to the upcoming Greek-Israeli intergovernmental meeting – which is set to take place on 8 October, in Israel – as an opportunity to further promote and deepen bilateral contacts in all sectors and to strengthen the strategic relationship between the two countries.
September 25, 2013