Arab News, Wednesday, Apr 21, 2021 | Ramadan 9, 1442
Saudi Arabia and Greece sign defense agreement
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks with Greek Foreign
Minister Nikos Dendias on Tuesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the Kingdom and
Greece, aspects of joint cooperation in various fields, and ways to support and
develop it. They also discussed current regional issues and the efforts made
toward solving them.
The meeting was attended by Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin
Salman and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, along with Greece’s
Minister of National Defense Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Kingdom and Greece signed an agreement related to
defense cooperation during a series of ministerial meetings in Riyadh.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Saudi and Greek foreign ministers signed an
agreement regarding draft arrangements for the legal status of the Greek armed
forces participating in supporting the Kingdom’s defense capabilities.
Prince Faisal then held official talks with the two visiting ministers to
discuss bilateral relations, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said.
They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual
concern.
Following the meeting, Panagiotopoulos said “Greece and Saudi Arabia are linked
by strong friendships, have common concerns about current geostrategic
challenges and a common vision for the future.”
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir also held talks with
Dendias and his accompanying delegation.
Nayef Al-Hajraf, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), met
Dendias and Panagiotopoulos, where he stressed the importance of growing
Gulf-Greek relations.
Al-Hajraf and Dendias signed a memorandum of understandingfor consultations on
issues of common interest between the GCC’s General Secretariat and the Greek
government.
Al-Hajraf said the agreement included a mechanism for cooperating and consulting
in the political, economic, commercial and investment fields.