FM continues Mideast tour before US visit
The situation in the wider region and the evolving bilateral relationship between Greece and the US will be at the heart of the contacts between Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on February 9.
The meeting will take place within the framework of the broader consultations related to the fifth round of the Strategic Dialogue, at a time when Athens seeks an increased role in the Middle East, and the need to end the war in Gaza.
In this context, Washington expects the implementation of Athens’ pledge to participate in Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea, while Greece has undertaken an effort to help broaden channels with critical actors in the region.
To this end, Gerapetritis will continue his tour of the region, having visited Amman on Monday, where he held talks with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, and is expected to be received by King Abdullah II on Tuesday.
“Greece has long and persistently supported the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, coexisting peacefully with Israel, with internationally recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 border line and with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said in Amman, reiterating Greece’s firm stance on the issue.
Later in the day he will head to Cairo where he will meet his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, as well as President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
In addition to the general coordination on the effort to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, Athens is also interested in the Egyptian stance on Libya given that the government in Tripoli seems to be moving even closer to Ankara – this time with the acquiescence of Benghazi, which until recently was negative toward Turkish moves in the divided North African country. Gerapetritis’ tour of the Middle East is also taking place in preparation for the EU Foreign Affairs Council next Monday.
