Minister of Foreign Affairs, N. Kotzias, meets with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, G. Bassil (New York, 20.09.2017)

On the margins of High-Level Week of the 72nd UN General Assembly, in New York, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias met on Wednesday, 20 September, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, Gebran Bassil.

The meeting took place in a very friendly climate, affirming the excellent level of bilateral relations. Regional and international issues were discussed, with special emphasis given on developments in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean region, as well as on the refugee/migration issue.

The Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs set out in detail the content of Greece’s initiatives for security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region, stressing the gains made by the Rhodes Conference in the promotion of a positive agenda for cooperation. In this context, they discussed cooperation between Greece and Lebanon in the cultural/education sector, at the level of governments and universities, and the feasibility of building a broader security and stability architecture in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Moreover, the two Ministers agreed to strengthen the dynamic of the trilateral cooperation with Cyprus, examining the possibility of convening the next meeting in the near future.

They also looked at bilateral cooperation issues, including mutual support for candidacies in international organizations.

Mr. Kotzias invited his Lebanese counterpart to participate in the 2nd International Conference on “Religious and Cultural Pluralism and Peaceful Coexistence in the Middle East,” which is being held in Athens in late October, and in the 3rd Rhodes Conference for Security and Stability, which will take place in late June 2018.