The meeting between Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Syria’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Assad Al-Sibani, was described as a “significant opportunity to enhance bilateral relations, with the ultimate aim of upgrading them in a fragile geopolitical context, given the developments in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.”
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lana Zochiou, the two ministers discussed, among other issues, Greece’s provision of technical expertise for institution-building, as well as cooperation on migration through the establishment of technical committees.
“Mr. Gerapetritis emphasized that Greece consistently supports the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria and reiterated the need for the transitional Syrian administration to honor its commitments toward inclusive governance, free of external interference, ensuring that no ethnic or religious community is excluded,” Zochiou noted.
At the same time, Gerapetritis “reaffirmed Greece’s steadfast concern for the protection of Christian populations in Syria and underscored the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between the Syrian transitional government and the Patriarchate of Antioch, as an institution that safeguards and promotes Damascus’ relationship with the Greek Orthodox and broader Christian flock in Syria.” He also stressed the importance of adherence to international law, particularly the Law of the Sea, and respect for the sovereign rights of neighboring states.
Finally, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Gerapetritis and Al-Sibani “confirmed their intention to promote regional cooperation through the establishment of a trilateral format with the participation of the Republic of Cyprus, with a possible first meeting at the level of foreign ministers in September, on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.”
Source: ANA-MPA
