Kyriakos Mitsotakis met today (May 4) with German Foreign Minister Johann Wandefulat the Maximos Mansion.
During the meeting, they discussed regional developments, with a focus on Iran, Lebanon, and the broader Middle East region.
The Prime Minister stressed that Europe must maintain a presence in the region following a peace agreement, adding that it must support the government and armed forces of Lebanon.
They also discussed issues of mutual European interest, such as Euro-Atlantic relations, the strengthening of collective European defense, and the new Multiannual Financial Framework.
At the start of their meeting, the Prime Minister and the German Foreign Minister had the following exchange (unofficial translation from English):
Kyriakos Mitsotakis:“Welcome to Athens. You are visiting at a time of great turmoil, so we have much to discuss. Together with Cyprus, we are the country closest to what is happening in the Middle East.
We are, of course, deeply committed to ensuring that this situation is resolved peacefully as soon as possible, especially with regard to maintaining freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Not only as a European country but also as a leading maritime nation, we consider it imperative that no precedent be set, not only in the region but also globally. And I am very interested in hearing your thoughts regarding the next steps.
We are a country, as you know and as you discussed with our minister, that maintains, I would say, constructive relations with all the countries in the region, something that, in my opinion, makes us reliable “bridge-builders.” Of course, however, to reach the point where we begin to build bridges, we must first get past the point where we are blowing them up.
Therefore, ensuring that we reach a point where diplomacy takes precedence is, I believe, a shared priority for our two countries. Welcome, and I am very pleased to see you.”
Johan Wandeful:“Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for hosting us this afternoon. It is very important that we meet during these times, as you said. I bring you very warm greetings from Friedrich Merz. I spoke with him yesterday afternoon, and he asked me to convey his warmest regards to you; he values the friendship that binds you. This also applies to our two countries and our two governments, especially to the foreign ministers, at this critical juncture.
This morning we discussed at length the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. I believe it is absolutely essential that we articulate our arguments and play a role as the European Union, because we have interests in that region, just as we have an interest in ending Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine.
I would say, therefore, in view of Greece’s upcoming presidency of the European Union next year, that we must intensify our efforts so that the European Union is in a position to address all the threats and challenges we face. And this must be done among friends and key partners, such as Greece and Germany. Thank you.”