Athens : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa met with His Excellency Constantine An. Tassoulas, President of the Hellenic Republic, at the Presidential Mansion in Athens, during His Majesty’s visit to the Hellenic Republic.
Upon HM the King’s arrival, HE President Tassoulas welcomed His Majesty, noting that the visit would contribute significantly to further enhancing Bahrain-Greece relations.
HM the King thanked HE President Tassoulas for the warm welcome and generous hospitality and expressed hope that the visit would mark an important new phase in the development of relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, His Majesty and HE President Tassoulas reviewed the close bilateral relations and discussed means to further advance cooperation across various domains for the benefit and prosperity of both countries.
The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of common interest, particularly the latest developments in the Middle East.
Both sides emphasised the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and the security of waterways, particularly the Strait of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandab, and the need for any arrangements concerning them to be based on international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, safeguarding international trade and the smooth functioning of supply chains.
At the outset of the meeting, His Majesty delivered a speech on the occasion, the text of which follows:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Your Excellency the President,
I thank you for your kind words and for the warm welcome we have received since the moment of our arrival in your distinguished country.
I am pleased to be in Greece today, a country with an ancient civilisation to which the world owes much in terms of enlightened thought and the values of wisdom, justice and beauty. I am also pleased to convey to Your Excellency and to the people of Greece the greetings and best wishes of the people of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The ties between our two countries predate what is recorded in documents and history books. Your ancestors knew our land as Tylos more than twenty-three centuries ago, and traces of that encounter between the Greek and Dilmun civilisations remain present in our land to this day. We take pride in this shared human heritage as a foundation for building a contemporary partnership that brings benefit to our two peoples.
In the Kingdom of Bahrain, we have always believed that diversity is a blessing that must be preserved and that dialogue among cultures and religions is the best path towards peace and coexistence. I believe this is a conviction you share with us in an ancient country where the very idea of dialogue was born.
Your Excellency the President,
Our region and the world are passing through a critical period in which the sovereignty of states and the safety of maritime routes face serious challenges. We highly appreciate Greece’s principled positions based on international law and regard your friendship as a source of support at a time when challenges are increasing and adherence to principles is becoming less common.
I look forward to this visit building on those steps and marking a new chapter in cooperation between our two countries, and to welcoming Your Excellency to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Thank you.
HE President Tassoulas also delivered a speech, the text of which follows:
Your Majesty,
It is with great pride and pleasure that we welcome Your Majesty and the accompanying delegation here in Athens.
Your Majesty,
Relations between our two countries are founded on mutual respect and deep friendship. These foundations will help us build strong relations for the future.
Your Majesty,
We recognise that the circumstances we are currently experiencing are difficult where there are many challenges. We express solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain and condemn the attacks carried out by Iran against the Kingdom. As you know, Greece stands by the resolutions of the United Nations and acts in accordance with them, in line with its steadfast position.
There have, of course, been losses of life and damage to infrastructure as a result of the Iranian attacks against the Kingdom of Bahrain. These attacks have serious repercussions not only for the Gulf region, but also for Greece and for other regions and countries around the world.
Greece supports freedom of navigation and free passage, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, as guaranteed by international law, with the aim of ensuring stability and prosperity for all countries. We therefore stand against and condemn all such actions, in pursuit of a world in which stability and peace prevail.
The Greek Navy is also playing its role in the Red Sea region through Operation ASPIDES, which means ‘shield’, reflecting the importance Greece attaches to this issue. This is not a matter of diplomatic statements alone; action must also be taken. Greece will continue to uphold these positions in pursuit of the objectives I have outlined.
Your Majesty,
Greece has developed defence cooperation with the Gulf countries in general. All these efforts are aimed at confronting attacks and acts of aggression for which there is no cause or justification, while also clearly demonstrating our position on the need for peace to prevail throughout the region.
Your Majesty,
The close relations between our countries are well known, and Your Majesty’s presence here will, of course, contribute to further deepening these relations.
The United Nations will convene in the coming days. In this context, I would like to note that the policies of our two countries are aligned in many respects and are based on many common principles. This is how we view relations between Bahrain and Greece.
On this occasion, allow me to thank Your Majesty for this visit and to wish you a pleasant stay and fruitful discussions during the time you and the accompanying delegation will spend here. This reflects the similar perspectives of our two countries, both in international forums and in their bilateral relations.
At the conclusion of the meeting, HM the King and HE President Tassoulas affirmed the two countries’ commitment to building on their strong relations and expanding cooperation in support of common interests.
The two sides also affirmed their support for all efforts aimed at achieving security, stability, prosperity and peace in the Middle East for the benefit of the region and its people.
HM the King extended a renewed invitation to HE President Tassoulas to visit the Kingdom of Bahrain.
