Venizelos Present At Erdogan's Reception in New York

Minister of Foreign Affairs Evangelos Venizelos on Tuesday attended a reception hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the "Turkish Centre" in New York on the sidelines of the 69th UN General Assembly. Ahead of the event, the Greek Minister met with members of prominent American-Jewish organizations and discussed issues related to Greek-Israeli cooperation and energy.

He also addressed an event at the American Jewish Committee on anti-Semitism where he signalled out the importance of Greek-Israeli relations.

     "For once more we confirm and underline the great importance of our friendship; the friendship between the Greek and the Israeli people, the friendship between Greece and Israel," he said.

Within the framework of the Ministerial Week of the 69th UN General Assembly, Venizelos also met and held talks with the Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority Riyad Al-Maliki. Discussions centered on the situation in the wider area following the cease fire in the Gaza Strip as well as the excellent course of bilateral relations.

The Greek Minister also pointed out to his counterpart the importance Greece attaches to the promotion of the peace process, assuring him that Greece, as an EU member-state and a country that maintains traditionally close relations with the Palestinian people, is always ready to contribute to the efforts to overcome the crisis in the direction of security and regional stability.

Finally, Venizelos would also represent Greece at the UN climate summit called by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.