Pamboukis in Israel

Greek minister of State Haris Pamboukis was in Israel on Thursday for talks aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

While in Israel, Pamboukis will meet with Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, energy and national infrastructures minister Uzi Landau, Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fischer and National Security Council chairman Dr. Uzi Arad.

Pamboukis is accompanied by deputy foreign minister Dimitris Dollis and a team of experts.

Talks are expected to focus on energy issues.

Replying to questions during a regular press briefing, foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras said that the creation of a Greece-Israel joint ministerial council reflects Greece’s readiness to create an institutional framework that will facilitate the enhancement of bilateral cooperation, and the Pamboukis-Dollis visit to Israel was taking place in that context.

He said such meetings will take place much more frequently in the context of setting up the Joint Ministerial Council so that it will produce tangible results in specific time frames.

Asked to comment on reports of a prospective collaboration among Greece, Israel and the Republic of Cyprus in the energy sector, Delavekouras said that such a discussion “is premature”, but noted that both sides were positively inclined, adding that “Greece’s position is of strategic importance for the transfer of natural gas from the region to Europe”.