Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said Greece is prepared to play an active role in Gaza’s reconstruction and regional stability following the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit and the signing of the Gaza Peace Agreement.
“Greece aspires to play an active role in Gaza and the Middle East on the ‘day after’, and we are ready to contribute substantially … on the basis of international law and UN Security Council decisions,” Gerapetritis said after meeting Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin in Athens on Tuesday, October 14.
He said Greece’s involvement would focus on large-scale humanitarian aid and the mobilisation of the private sector to improve living conditions in Gaza.
“The stabilisation of Gaza is key to establishing security conditions and ensuring the swift return of the Palestinian Authority,” he added.
Calling the peace agreement “tangible proof of the power of diplomacy,” Gerapetritis said Greece was “one step closer” to recognising a Palestinian state.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Shahin welcomed Greece’s support, saying, “We must seize the opportunity for peace that exists today … At the end of this road, we see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”
