Greek government broadcasts "business as usual" message as FM Nikos Kotzias goes ahead with planned visit.
Less than 24-hours after voting in Greece on a fateful referendum on whether to accept the terms of an international bailout, Greece\’s Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will arrive for talks on Monday, including a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Diplomatic officials said that despite the crisis in Greece, the Greeks are determined to go ahead with the meeting which is expected to focus on bilateral ties, the region and the diplomatic situation with the Palestinians.
In addition to meeting Netanyahu, Kotzias is scheduled to meet President Reuven Rivlin, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, Interior minister Silvan Shalom, and Deputy foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely. On Wednesday he is scheduled to go to Ramallah for talks with senior Palestinian officials there.
One official in Jerusalem said Kotzias\’ trip was planned weeks ago, and the Greek determination to go ahead with it despite everything happening in Greece at the present time shows that the government there wants to broadcast a message of “business as usual,” as well as highlight the strong bilateral ties with Israel.
The ties between the two states have remained strong even following the election victory of the radical-left Syriza party last year.
Nevertheless, last month Kotzias – during a meeting with Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki — said he gave instructions to the Greek government to begin using the the term Palestine in reference to the Palestinian Authority.