Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias traveled to Jerusalem to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
By Erin Viner
The Prime Minister praised the close relations between Jerusalem and Athens, which cooperated in many spheres, most notably energy.
In this respect, the meeting, Israeli National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi was instructed to begin coordinating a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Israel, Greece and Cyprus on this issue.
This would mark the ninth energy summit between Jerusalem, Athens and Nicosia.
Turning to other matters, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed the hope that the good bilateral relations will also find expression in how Greece votes at the United Nations. This, after Athens chose to abstain during voting on the controversial UN General Assembly resolution calling on the International Court of Justice to urgently render an advisory opinion on Israel’s so-called “prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian territory.”
In its first statement after taking office late December, Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet denounced the resolution as part of “the Palestinian Authority’s decision to wage political and legal war against the State of Israel.”
Turning to other matters, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Dendias also discussed the need to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, as well as opportunities for expanding the circle of peace and the Abraham Accords countries.
In addition to National Security Council Director Hanegbi, other officials participating in the meeting included Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, the Prime Minister’s Military Secretary Maj.-Gen. Avi Gil, Israeli Ambassador to Greece Noam Katz and Greek Ambassador to Israel Kyriakos Loukakis.