Statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, to Greek journalists following his visit to Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, 17 December 2019)

N. DENDIAS: Today’s visit to Saudi Arabia was a great opportunity – the meeting with King Salman, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Faisal bin Rahman, with the Minister of State, Mr. Jubeir, and with the head of Saudi Arabia’s investment fund and president of ARAMCO, Mr. Rumayyan.

I must say, it was an extremely successful visit. His Highness and I discussed not only the security issues in the region, but also issues created in the Mediterranean following the signing of the two memoranda by Turkey and the government in Tripoli. We share the view that these memoranda create problems in the wider region. We will continue jointly to monitor the situation and beyond that we will be in touch to coordinate actions.

I must also say that I had the opportunity to praise the Saudi Arabian leadership for the calm stance they maintained during the recent missile attack on the ARAMCO facilities. This attack threatens not only the Saudi Arabian economy, but also the whole planet’s economy.

Saudi Arabia is a key state for the region, and all of the states in the world, including Greece, have a special interest in its security and territorial integrity.

JOURNALIST: Minister, does the Saudi Arabian side share the concerns that exist regarding the situation in Libya and Turkey’s intervention there?

N. DENDIAS: The fact that the King of Saudi Arabia received me means something. As does the fact that we have a shared outlook on something that is quite far from Saudi Arabia’s borders: the Mediterranean. I think Saudi Arabia is a country with special geopolitical sensitivities. It has a very good understanding of how these two memoranda are having a destabilising effect on the wider region.