​(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)

 

President Reuven Rivlin today (Wednesday, 30 March 2016) hosted at his residence, an official welcome ceremony for President of Greece, H.E. Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who was making a state visit to Israel. The President welcomed his guest on the red carpet, before the two stood for the national anthems, reviewed a guard of honor, and delivered brief public statements. They then went on to hold a working meeting during which they discussed the strengthening of bilateral ties between the two countries.

 

President Rivlin welcomed President Pavlopoulos and said, "It is a great honor for us to host you, a true friend of Israel." President Rivlin stressed the historic connection between the two peoples and noted, "Throughout history there has been close and fruitful contact between the people of Greece and the people of Israel, in both the world of ideas, and in the world of deeds. Today we are two western democracies seeking peace, stability, and security, and who share the same space here in the Eastern Mediterranean, which we have in recent years discovered is quite a small space indeed."

 

"We are not just friends, but neighbors. The wars and lack of peace and quiet in the Middle East have created a turbulence which has directly impacted upon both of us. The chaos in Syria and the need to face terrorism without a doubt continue to constitute challenges which we must deal with, alongside our economic efforts."

 

The President stressed the shared danger posed by extremist Islam and IS in the region. He said, "Close and neighboring countries in the Eastern Mediterranean must recognize the common danger posed by militant Islam and IS, unite against this enemy, and to form one alliance; a regional security and economic alliance to bring an end to global terror. It is my hope that our meeting, which is taking place amidst an ongoing strengthening of ties between our countries and peoples, will reinforce the strategic alliance which is growing and taking shape between our peoples."

 

President Pavlopoulos thanked President Rivlin for his warm words and welcome and stressed that he was delighted to be visiting Israel, and remarked on the warm relationship between the two countries, "The shared position of our two peoples in this region and our abilities, enable us through cooperation to overcome the challenges we face."

 

He added, "The roots of the relationship between our two peoples stretch further back than our diplomatic relations. We must understand our tasks. We can cooperate on a range of issues, yet the most important issue is that of regional peace, protecting democracy, human life, and mutual assistance."

 

"There are many challenges in our region and in Europe in general. Now is the time to act according to our shared values. You have experienced what it means to be refugees. In Greece we are receiving refugees just as our ancestors did, as human beings who deserve rights. Yet when it comes to terrorism, the example of the jihadists and IS, we cannot accept this, and we must be absolute in the face of this. Their terror is aimed at all humanity. We must make clear to Europe that we stand against terror together, and that when it comes to the issue of the refugees we will not allow expressions of hatred between people, which is source of racism and anti-Semitism. I view with great concern the rise in the wave of hatred. We must eliminate it, with the memory of the Holocaust; we must fight against terrorism, but for human life. We must not allow the European continent to return to darkness, Europe must continue to be a continent of enlightenment and humanity."

 

He concluded by saying to President Rivlin, "Your patience and tolerance are evidenced in the many issues we have to discuss. I extend to the Israeli people my wishes for peace and security, in which they may live in health and prosperity, and face the great challenges before us. I see in you a great and dear friend of my country."

 

 

(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)
 

Copyright: GPO/Mark Neiman

President Reuven & First Lady Rivlin this evening (Wednesday) hosted at his residence, a state dinner in honor of President of Greece, H.E. Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos. At the beginning of the evening, President Rivlin presented President Pavlopoulos a framed collection of specially designed postage stamps commemorating 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. President Pavlopoulos thanked him for what he noted was a "sign of our friendship and diplomatic ties".
 
President Rivlin welcomed President Pavlopoulos and said, "The ancient Hebrew and Greek cultures - upon which our states are rooted - are among the most glorious of the ancient world. Together, they contributed more than anything to the shaping of Western culture, and the building of the modern world as we know it today." He continued, "Mr. President, the closeness between Greece and Israel does not begin and end with distant cultural roots. I am pleased to say that our two states have continued to grow closer in recent years, as such close neighbors should do."
 
President Rivlin thanked the Greek President for Greece's assistance in battling the Carmel fire in 2010, and noted, "In the face of the enormous challenges before you; the growing flow of refugees, and separately, the threat of extremist terror, I want to reaffirm our commitment to our bilateral cooperation. This is essential today more than ever."
 
President Pavlopoulos thanked President Rivlin for his warm welcome and expressed his desire to increase the cooperation between Israel and Greece, alongside a firm joint stance to defend the values the countries shared, and against the threats the countries faced. He said, "Today during my visit, I planted an olive tree at Yad Vashem, olive trees have deep and strong roots. I am pleased to be here at a time when the ties between us are like the olive tree, with deep and enduring roots. What is most important in the discussions between our countries are the values of democracy and humanity, these values must exist in order for there to be peace, and to prevent the repeat of terrible deeds which have scarred humanity. The tri-lateral cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel covers a wide range of issues, and we share the same challenges in this region. Our peoples must, together, send a message. Greece and all of Europe is enduring an economic crisis, there is also the problem of the refugees, and we must be aware of all that is happening in the region. We must stand together against fundamentalism and terrorism. My message is not to the State of Israel which shares Greece's values, but to other people. A Europe of spirit and democracy cannot live with those who support hatred and racism - which we thought were in the past. We cannot live once again with the phenomena of racism and antisemitism. The Holocaust cannot be repeated."
 
He concluded by noting the importance of the connection with the Jewish community in Greece. He said, "We are proud of the Jewish community in Greece, and it is a great blessing for us because they know how to stand united in the face of difficulties. During the Holocaust, 67,150 Greek Jews were murdered, but there were 327 Righteous Among the Nations who helped save many Jews, and epitomized what it means to be Greek in difficult times.