RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister and his Greek counterpart met in Athens on Tuesday and reaffirmed their commitment to efforts to prevent Iran from gaining access to nuclear weapons.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that he and Nikos Dendias spoke about the faltering nuclear negotiations taking place in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 countries: The US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany.
“We discussed the importance of supporting international efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and confronting Iranian transgressions that contradict its declared peaceful nuclear program,” he said.
Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan (left) and Greek FM Nikos Dendias speak out on Tuesday in Athens against Iran's nuclear ambitions. (AP)
Prince Faisal, who was making his second visit to Greece in less than a year, said that he and Dendias talked about a wide range of issues of concern to both countries, including the situation in Yemen. The Saudi minister highlighted his concerns about the threat the Houthi rebels in the country pose to the region, and their ongoing attacks against civilian targets in the Kingdom and elsewhere, including the recent hijacking of a civilian vessel in the Red Sea, and their consistent refusal to engage in a peace process.
Saudi Arabia and Greece will continue to strengthen diplomatic, economic and military ties, the prince added, and he reaffirmed their joint commitment to securing peace and stability in the region and combating terrorism.
The ministers also reviewed recent developments in Afghanistan and the need to support the Afghan people during the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.
“We call on international efforts to increase in helping to stabilize the crisis in Afghanistan as soon as possible,” said Prince Faisal.
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Bilateral relations in the fields of defense, the economy and investment, in light of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 development and diversification program, and cooperation within international organizations also formed part of the ministers’ discussions.
They said that they also talked about the opportunities provided by the Kingdom’s Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives to help achieve global development and sustainability goals.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid an official visit to the Kingdom in October, while Dendias and defense minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos visited the country in April.
In Amman on Monday, Prince Faisal and Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi condemned recent Houthi attacks and discussed the intensification of international efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.The ministers also reviewed recent developments in Afghanistan and the need to support the Afghan people during the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.
