The foreign ministry is concerned over the further military escalation and spread of the conflict in the Middle East, ministry spokesperson Lana Zochiou told diplomatic correspondents on Thursday.
She noted that the ministry calls upon all sides to show maximum restraint, saying that all sides must work to create reliable channels for dialogue and return to negotiations. She also expressed Greece’s concern over Iran’s nuclear program, adding that the supervision of its programs is a prerequisite for stability in the region.
The spokesperson went on to announce the relocation of the Greek embassy in Tehran to Baku, Azerbaijan and said that both Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis have contacted Greece’s partners in the region, expressing solidarity with the Gulf countries and stressing the need for diplomacy, respect for international law and the freedom of navigation to prevail.
Zochiou pointed out that Greece voted in favour of a UN Security Council resolution expressing solidarity with Gulf countries and emphasised the importance of freedom of navigation at a time when 80% of global trade is conducted by sea and disturbances disrupt the global supply chain.
She also stressed that the current situation demands defense preparations by Greece, which had responded to the demands for defense assistance from Cyprus and Bulgaria, “in order to protect our neighborhood from hostile actions”.
European security is “inextricably linked” to the situation in the Middle East, the ministry’s spokesperson said, stressing the need to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, she added, Greece had asked France, Denmark, Latvia and the United Kingdom to convene an emergency session on Wednesday, which concluded with the signature of a joint statement regarding the state of Lebanon.
“We express our full solidarity with Lebanon and emphasize the need for its sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected. We have also repeatedly stressed that we oppose large-scale operations on Lebanese territory. In the joint statement, we highlighted the importance of supporting the efforts of the Lebanese government for the rapid implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. As you may recall, in January 2026, Greece provided military equipment to Lebanon. We are now examining the possibility of immediately sending humanitarian aid,” Zochiou said.
Repatriations
Referring to the issue of repatriations from the war zone, Zochiou said that the number of pending requests had dwindled sharply in the last few days, with people returning on special charter flights and in military transport planes. She said that 2,000 people have been brought home from the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, while some Greeks have left Jerusalem by road, heading for Egypt.
She stressed that these were “complex” operations, with the closure of airspaces being the main obstacle, revealing that the ministry was examining the possibility of an agreement with an airline for the return of stranded pets.
Zochiou said the foreign ministry was in contact with the maritime affairs ministry as the safety of Greek seafarers and ships was a top priority. She reported that 10 Greek-flagged ships carrying a total of 90 Greek seafarers were currently with the Persian Gulf, that all of them were reported safe and no request has been made for their repatriation. She also reported that many ships owned by Greek interests were currently in the wider region of Oman, of which one had been hit.
The spokesperson said that Foreign Minister Gerapetritis is scheduled to visit Brussels in March to take part in the Foreign Affairs Council discussing events in the Middle East and Ukraine, while on March 17 he is to visit Berlin for talks with his German counterpart, bilateral issues and the Middle East.
She concluded by stressing that it was Greece’s self-evident duty to assist in the defense of Cyprus when asked, emphasising that “our assistance has a purely defensive character”. She described Cyprus as an island of stability and security in the surrounding region, in spite of the ongoing illegal Turkish invasion and occupation of its territory, noting that the illegal invasion does not legitimise the presence of an occupation force.
