Friday, July 23, 2010

DTN News: Israeli, Greek Leaders Vow Closer Ties

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: Israeli, Greek Leaders Vow Closer Ties
Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 23, 2010: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with visiting Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Thursday, announcing a tightening of ties between the two nations.
The visit comes at a time of crisis in the once-warm relationship between Israel and Greece's arch-rival, Turkey, since an Israeli commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship in which nine Turkish activists were killed on May 31.
"At the end of the meeting they agreed to a major upgrade of relations between Israel and Greece on a range of bilateral issues," said Netanyahu's office, adding that Papandreou had invited Netanyahu to visit Athens.
Papandreou, on a two-day visit to the region, was to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas later on Thursday.
Netanyahu asked the Greek leader to urge Abbas to begin direct peace talks with Israel.
The Palestinians have refused to move from US-brokered indirect talks to face-to-face peace negotiations without a complete freeze on Israeli settlement expansion on occupied land.

No comments:

Post a Comment