President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, issued a joint declaration on Thursday to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and to “celebrate the past, present and future of bilateral ties.”
The declaration hails the progress made since Greece recognised the State of Israel on May 21, 1990, and particularly the deepening of ties in recent years in the areas of investments, energy, tourism, defence, technology and culture.
“Apart from powerful political bonds, this relationship has developed significantly in recent years,” the Presidents said.
“Our diaspora communities have played an important role in building this bridge of friendship between our countries,” they added.
They also emphasised the tripartite partnership with the Republic of Cyprus, with the support of the United States, for strengthening regional security, stability and growth. “The plan for the EastMed pipeline bolsters the European Union’s energy security and brings our neighbours in the Eastern Mediterranean closer,” the declaration says.
“As the Hellenic Republic and the State of Israel underscore this important milestone in their relations, we are determined to continue working with close cooperation and coordination… to promote this friendship and partnership,” the Presidents vowed.
As Greece and Israel celebrate 30 years of full diplomatic relations, PM @netanyahu and I reaffirmed the strategic partnership between our two countries. Our relationship is going from strength to strength, expanding further in areas such as energy, defense, tourism & technology. pic.twitter.com/ZcpoumObkd
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) May 21, 2020
Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the anniversary between the countries in a video call on Thursday.
The two leaders referred to the expansion of their strategic relationship in tourism, security and defense, innovation, energy, trade and culture.
Regarding the tourism sector, Mitsotakis stressed that he expects an increase in the number of visitors from Israel, in view of the start of the tourist season in Greece on June 15. Netanyahu told his Greek counterpart that Israelis are keen to come to Greece as soon as it is allowed.
