Riyadh: Greece and Saudi Arabia are longstanding strategic partners and will remain so for many years to come, Greek Ambassador Alexis Konstantopoulos said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the National Day reception at the Greek Embassy in Riyadh, Konstantopoulos said many important Greek companies and entrepreneurs contributed to the building of Saudi Arabia since the early 1960s, such as the Latsis Group, Archirodon and others.
He added Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis visited AlUla last January and was warmly received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at his private desert camp, marking the first ever official state visit to take place there, a testament to the level of Greek-Saudi bilateral relations and their personal friendship.
Mitsotakis was accompanied by nine ministers and deputy ministers and participated in high-level strategic dialogue, setting solid foundations, a comprehensive framework and concrete action plans in different fields — political, defense, investment and commerce, energy, culture, tourism and sports — which the ambassador called an ambitious, far-reaching and comprehensive program to advance every aspect of the two sides’ bilateral relations for many years to come.
“Having had the privilege to serve in the Kingdom for some years, I can testify to the incredible changes that have taken place in this country — it completely transformed Saudi Arabia, its people and the Kingdom’s regional and global position,” he noted.
“We look forward to enhancing not only our government-to-government relations but also our business-to-business and people-to-people level links. I take this opportunity to welcome here today the CEO of Piraeus Bank, which together with Eurobank and the National Bank of Greece, as well as many other Greek companies, have a strong interest in the Saudi market. Our common ambitions are strong, we are complementary in many fields and our cooperation will add significant added value to our economies,” said Konstantopoulos.
He added: “Tonight we are celebrating the national day of Greece, the beginning of the fight for independence against Ottoman rule, which falls on March 25 and was accordingly postponed since it was Ramadan. Together, tonight, we celebrate our two countries, our great history, our common friendship, and our mutual respect.
“Our Greek community is warmly welcomed here, adding significant added value to the Saudi public and private sector, a fine example of Greek know-how and expertise. We are looking forward to welcoming more Greek tourists in the diverse and beautiful natural environment of Saudi Arabia and to welcoming more visitors from Saudi Arabia in our home country Greece.
“Aegean has more than seven-weekly flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to Greece and Saudia will start this summer to operate flights to Greece, almost on a daily basis,” said the ambassador.
“This is the celebration of a true friendship between two peoples with an ancient heritage, a booming present and a brilliant future,” he added.
Konstantopoulos thanked Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, deputy governor of Riyadh region, for honoring the reception with his presence.
