The Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Yannis-Alexis Zepos, met at the Foreign Ministry today with the Ambassadors of Arab countries to Athens to brief them in detail on Greece’s proposal to undertake the conveying to Gaza of the humanitarian aid that has been collected by those participating in the well-known relevant initiative.
Ambassador Zepos briefed the Arab Ambassadors on the historical background of the case, stressing in particular that the Greek government’s decisions were taken based on the safety of the participants and avoiding tensions that might have repercussions for the stability of the wider region at a critical time, and in light of the relevant request from the UN Secretary General. He also mentioned the contacts to this end between Prime Minister Papandreou and the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Abbas, and Foreign Minister Lambrinidis and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, with Mr. Abbas and Mr. Ban both expressing their support for the initiative Greece is taking.
Finally, Ambassador Zepos took the opportunity of this briefing to reiterate to the Arab Ambassadors Greece’s positions on the Middle East issue and particularly the Palestinian question, reaffirming Greece’s dedication to the goal of finding a just and viable solution for the Palestinians and the creation of a Palestinian state that will coexist with Israel in conditions of peace and security.
July 5, 2011