Rivlin, Greek president give joint statement marking 30 years of relations

Israel and Greece are strong regional allies, and both have worked through diplomatic channels and through their respective diaspora communities to strengthen this existing friendship.

By AARON REICH
RIVLIN (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
RIVLIN
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
President Reuven Rivlin delivered a joint statement alongside his Greek counterpart Katerina Sakellaropoulou to mark the 30th anniversary of full diplomatic relations between the Jewish state and the Hellenic republic.
"Today, May 21, 2020, as the Hellenic Republic and the State of Israel, mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between our two countries and the strengthening of the bonds between our two peoples, President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou and President of the State of Israel Reuven Rivlin come together to celebrate our relationship – past, present and future," the statement read.
Israel and Greece are strong regional allies, and both have worked through diplomatic channels and through their respective diaspora communities to strengthen this existing friendship.
Beyond political ties, the two heads of state praised the growing ties in the science, culture, defense and economic sectors, the most notable of which are tourism and the East Mediterranean Pipleline Project.
"The East Med Pipeline Project advances energy security in the EU and brings our neighbors in the Eastern Mediterranean closer. Tourism brings our societies even closer together, despite the painful disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic," the statement said.
Tourism is an important link between the two countries, with Greece being an especially popular destination for Israelis. Speaking with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Misotakis on a call, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had expressed his interest in restoring flights and tourism between Israel and Greece.
“There is enormous demand from the citizens of Israel. We see people on talk shows saying ‘when are we off to Greece?’” Netanyahu said. “We really want to resume flights and tourism connections with countries in a similar situation, and the most evident one is Greece, and we are working on it now."
This came weeks after the Tourism Ministry began talks with Greece and fellow regional ally Cyprus to create a safe zone for tourism between the countries, similar to what was established by the Baltic republics.
This is reflective of the strong ties between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, which the joint statement also commented on.
"As the Hellenic republic and the State of Israel mark this important point in their relations, we are determined to continue to work in close cooperation and coordination. Together, we will work for the advancement of friendship and partnership, further strengthening our unique ties in an ever-increasing number of areas of common interest, thus contributing to the prosperity of our broader region," the statement concluded.

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Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.