Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis Thursday in Athens, a first visit by a foreign minister to the country since the elections and establishment of the new cabinet late last month. The two discussed Iran's threat as well as energy cooperation.
A statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry after the meeting quoted Cohen as saying, "The strategic relationship between Israel and Greece strengthens Israel's position and promotes stability in the Middle East. The fact that Israel’s foreign minister is the first foreign minister to travel to Athens since the establishment of the new government in Greece is evidence of the importance and depth of the relationship between the two countries.”
According to the statement, Cohen thanked Gerapetritis for Greek security agencies's actions against the Iranian threat and to protect Jews and Israelis in the country. A source at the Foreign Ministry told Al-Monitor that the comment was a reference to the March 29 statement by the Israeli prime minister's office on the Mossad assisting its Greek counterparts in the unraveling an Iranian cell that planned terror attacks against Israeli nationals in Athens.
“Greece is a close partner in regional security issues and we value the security cooperation between our countries. We will continue to promote the strategic relations with Greece in the fields of security, energy and technology and vis-à-vis the Hellenic triangle with Greece and Cyprus," Cohen further said.
