Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is to meet the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, where he is to make an intermediate stop during his journey to Amman, Jordan to attend the 5th Greece-Cyprus-Jordan Summit on Wednesday.

According to government sources, the premier’s visit seeks to highlight Greece’s role as a force for stability in the wider region and as a reliable ally at a particularly crucial time.

The sources also pointed out that Mitsotakis will be the first European Union leader to visit the region after Monday’s new strikes against UAE infrastructure, with the visit sending a message of support and solidarity but also reaffirming the strong strategic partnership between Greece and the UAE. This was established in 2020 with the Joint Declaration on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and a Cooperation Agreement on Foreign Affairs and Defense that futher deepened the two countries already close cooperation.

Greece has from the first moment condemned the attacks on Gulf countries, including Monday’s attacks on UAE, while it remains committed to finding a diplomatic solution that will lead to a sustainable peace and will fully ensure freedom of navigation, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz.

The sources also pointed out that this Mitsotakis’ fifth visit to UAE, indicating the strategic depth of bilateral relations and their strengthening on a diplomatic, economic and defense level.