ATHENS, Thursday, December 20, 2018 (WAFA) - The Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, expressed on Wednesday his solidarity and that of the Greek people with the Palestinian people in their pursuit of freedom and peace.

During his meeting with Foreign Minister Riyad Malki  and in the presence of Palestinian ambassador to Greece, Marwan Toubasi, Tsipras said he would like to hold a Palestinian-Greek-Cypriot summit early next year and implement what was agreed upon by the joint ministerial committee.

He stressed the importance of joint cooperation between their two countries in the field of energy and gas, and the importance of preserving the rights of the State of Palestine in its waters and economic zones.

Malki reviewed the latest political developments and the Israeli escalation and violations against the Palestinian people and their leadership that would destroy any chance for a two-state solution as well as sustain the occupation and the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.

He pointed out that the policies of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its racist laws will drag the region into a cycle of violence. He pointed out that Israel, the Occupying Power, should be held accountable in international forums, stressing the Palestinian decision to bring the Israeli crimes to the international courts.

Malki briefed the Greek Prime Minister on recent US decisions on Jerusalem, the two-state solution, refugees and the cessation of financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA),  as well as the full bias of the US administration toward the occupying government.

He stressed the importance of developing Euro-Arab cooperation and partnership in support of the Palestinian vision of peace, calling for a greater role for Greece within the European Union in this regard.

Malki called on the Greek Prime Minister to complete the procedures for recognition of the State of Palestine in accordance with the recommendation of the Greek parliament to protect and promote the two-state solution.

The meeting was held after the Greek-Palestinian Joint Ministerial Committee has concluded its first meeting held on Tuesday. This was preceded by the tripartite Palestinian-Greek-Cypriot meeting in Athens and the issuance of statements and joint declarations that affirmed the rights of the Palestinian people, especially the establishment of their independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the June 1967 lines and the implementation of the United Nations resolutions related to the Palestinian cause.

M.K.