Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis is traveling to Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, on Monday, Jan. 13, for the first High Council for Strategic Cooperation between Greece and Saudi Arabia. The prime minister will meet with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
This is Mitsotakis’ third official visit to Saudi Arabia, a visit that highlights the will to further strengthen and upgrade the strategic relations between Greece and Saudi Arabia, coinciding with a time of geopolitical shifts in the Middle East. The summit also underscores Greece’s role as a commercial, investment, and energy-related bridge linking Asia and the Middle East with Europe.
This is Greece’s first High Council of Cooperation with a middle eastern country, establishing a permanent framework for bilateral cooperation with sector-specific committees led by the relevant ministers.
On his visit to Saudi Arabia, Mitsotakis will be accompanied by six ministers including Foreign Affairs, Defense, Development, Energy, Tourism, and Culture, the Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports as well as two deputy foreign ministers.
Saudi Arabia, is a stable partner for Greece with a key role in the Gulf and the broader region, while due to its economic power and its connections to the Trump camp, it plays a leading role in developments in the Arab world. On its part, Riyadh also views Athens as a stable and reliable European democracy and as a gateway to the EU and European markets.
The high council session is expected to pave the way for enhanced synergies in politics, defense, investments, energy, tourism, culture, and sports.
Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman visited Athens in 2022, marking his first official visit to Europe following the pandemic.
During this visit to Athens, Greece and Saudi Arabia signed the establishment of the High Council for Strategic Cooperation, solidifying the strategic relationship and institutionalizing collaboration across several sectors.
