Relations between Greece and Palestine have always been and remain excellent, which is mainly due to our country’s consistent positions on the Palestinian issue.
The Palestinian issue is at the heart of efforts to consolidate peace, security, stability and development in the region. Greece is contributing both bilaterally and regionally, as well as in the EU framework for its resolution, on the basis of the two-state solution, which is also promoted by the international community. Greece firmly supports the creation of an independent, viable, and democratic Palestinian state, which will coexist peacefully with Israel within internationally recognized borders, based on the pre-1967 line and with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and the relevant UN Resolutions.
Regarding our country's position on the current crisis in Gaza, Greece has, from the very beginning, stressed the importance of distinguishing between the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority from Hamas, highlighting as a priority the strengthening and support of the legitimate Palestinian leadership in order to enable its involvement in political initiatives aimed at de-escalating the crisis and consolidating peace in the region.
On addressing the humanitarian consequences of the war, Greece supports the need for adequate humanitarian pauses and the creation of appropriate corridors for the unimpeded and rapid delivery of aid to the Palestinian residents of Gaza. In addition, our country has sent assistance, both in cash and in material goods, to address immediate needs, but also to finance programmes for the benefit of the Palestinian people.
At the bilateral level, the Greek Prime Minister recently met his Palestinian counterpart Mr Shtayyeh in Paris (9/11/2023) and the Greek Foreign Minister has also visited Ramallah during the crisis, where he had contacts with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority (16/11/2023).
In relation to the trilateral cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Palestine, the first trilateral meeting at Foreign Ministers' level took place in New York on 21.9.2016. Subsequently, the first trilateral meeting was held in Ramallah, on 15.2.2017, at the level of Political Directors of Foreign Ministries, with the aim of further advancing trilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including, inter alia, economy, rural development, education, culture, religious tourism and development cooperation, mainly within the EU framework.
Finally, there is a Palestinian Diplomatic Mission in Athens and, since 2010, the Palestinian Ambassadors have been presenting their credentials to the President of the Republic and not to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, a symbolic sign of the excellent level of our bilateral relations. The Consulate General in Jerusalem is responsible for Greece's relations with Palestine.
The spiritual jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem also includes the Palestinian Territories, with a significant number of Orthodox Christians (the largest Christian community in Palestine). Finally, the Greek Orthodox Palestinians, as well as the large number of Palestinian graduates and grant holders of Greek universities, constitute a strong bridge of friendship between the Greek and Palestinian people.