In Beirut, Greek president stresses benefits of trilateral partnership
Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos was on an official visit to Beirut on Thursday, where he stressed the importance of a trilateral partnership that has been forged between Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon.
Pavlopoulos, whose visit comes a few days after the foreign ministers of the three Mediterranean countries met in Beirut to discuss energy cooperation, among other issues, was welcomed at Baabda Palace by his counterpart, Lebanese President Michel Aoun.
He also held talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who said later that they “discussed many issues, especially those concerning maritime borders and the special relations that must continue between the three countries,” according to the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.
Pavlopoulos also met with the country's prime minister, Saad Hariri, and foreign affairs chief, Gebran Bassil, for talks in which Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides also took part.
“The tripartite cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon has already yielded very positive results and the future is looking even more positive,” Pavlopoulos said. “Greece and Cyprus have chosen some time ago the path of cooperation with all its neighboring countries and their people.”
Pavlopoulos ended his two-day visit on Friday with a trip to Balamand, north of Beirut, where he met with Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X, who presented the Greek president with the Medal of the Apostles Peter and Paul.
