Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis on Tuesday stressed that the crisis in the Middle East must be prevented from spilling over into other regions, in statements at the conclusion of his visit to Amman, Jordan before departing for Cairo and after a meeting with King Abdullah II on Tuesday.

At the same time, he indicated that Greece is in a position to intervene creatively and meaningfully in the matter of the Middle East, pointing out that at the peak of this situation it could converse with both Palestine and Israel “so that we can get out of this tug-of-war as soon as possible and restore peace and prosperity to the region.”

“Greece, which is a powerful member of the European Union, belongs to the broader region of the Eastern Mediterranean, having the capability to be an interlocutor of the parties involved, and is one of the few countries that has this capability, precisely because it has acquired diplomatic ‘capital’ through exercising a foreign policy of principles,” he added.

Gerapetritis also mentioned the upcoming EU Foreign Affairs Council next Monday in Brussels, with the participation of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran, saying this will examine the road map for setting up humanitarian corridors, in collaboration with the EU, but also to have a discussion with “surplus value” on these issues. “So we can find a way that we can bring peace to the region. We must not lose a single day,” he said.

After his visit to Amman, Gerapetritis left for Cairo, where he will meet his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and be received by Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi on Wednesday.
During his visit to Egypt, the Greek foreign minister will also meet with the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and members of the Greek community in Egypt.