I welcome to Athens today the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, Yvette Cooper.
This visit takes place eight years after the last visit of a British Foreign Secretary to Athens. For this reason, Madam Secretary of State, your presence in Greece is of particular symbolic importance and gives us great pleasure.
Greece and the United Kingdom are traditional allies and friends. We are linked by historical, cultural, and economic ties.
It is particularly important in the current international environment to further strengthen the foundations laid more than two centuries ago, so that our bilateral relations may grow even stronger and more robust.
A decisive contribution in this regard is made by the Greek diaspora in the United Kingdom, the Greek shipping community established there, as well as British citizens who visit our country time and again. All of them continue to constitute a strong bond and an enduring bridge between our two countries.
Our cooperation with the United Kingdom within NATO and the United Nations Security Council is particularly productive.
With regard to NATO, we discussed the major security challenges, our strategic priorities, as well as the promotion of a fairer distribution of defense burdens.
I would like to stress that, within the framework of our allied relationship, we consider it necessary that any defense agreements concluded with third countries include the obvious obligation that defence equipment not be used against allied countries.
We also exchanged views on the United Nations and on the added value of multilateralism in a transregional crises’ situation of increasing geopolitical instability.
We discussed international issues of mutual interest, including the further deepening of relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa.
With regard to Ukraine, Greece will continue to support every initiative aimed at ending the war and achieving a sustainable peace. Such a peace must fully safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty and include the necessary security guarantees that will act as a deterrent against any future threat.
Regarding Gaza, we agreed with Madam Secretary of State on the need to maintain the ceasefire and ensure the provision of large-scale humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. Greece has made a strategic choice to play an active role in peace efforts in Gaza, in the humanitarian field and in the reconstruction of the region. At the same time, we support the reform of the Palestinian Authority, which we consider a necessary precondition for the launch of the political process with a view to the implementation of the two-state solution.
We also discussed recent developments in the Cyprus Issue. We believe that the existing diplomatic momentum should be further utilized towards a resolution. In view of the forthcoming third informal meeting in a broader format, we underscore the importance of strengthening progress on Confidence-Building Measures and support the initiatives of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to achieve a comprehensive and just settlement of the Cyprus Issue, in line with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Madam Secretary of State,
Greece is located in a volatile region. It is an integral part of the Mediterranean, and specifically the Eastern Mediterranean. It is a reliable ally with a strategic and stabilizing role in the region and makes use of the comparative advantages of its geographical and geopolitical position with the sole objective of promoting peace and prosperity in a region that has suffered greatly from wars and disputes.
The region is marked by persistent problems, alongside the accumulation of contemporary challenges of global dimension. Terrorism, maritime security, climate change and migration are among them.
With regard to migration, we agreed to launch a structured bilateral dialogue in order to coordinate our efforts in collectively addressing the phenomenon of irregular migration. Over the past six years, Greece has implemented a strict but fair migration policy. We have substantially upgraded reception facilities, accelerated asylum procedures, while at the same time we consistently monitor our land and sea borders and apply a particularly strict national sanctions framework.
Nevertheless, we consider broader interstate cooperation to be necessary, both with regard to combating the organized crime of migrant smuggling and to the management of returns of irregular migrants. As a frontline country, Greece attaches particular importance to the principle of solidarity and underlines the need for broader cooperation with our partners, as well as with third countries.
Together with the Secretary of State, we also explored ways to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, and culture.
In particular, in the area of cultural cooperation, I would like to reiterate Greece’s longstanding and just request for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures. This is a request of unique global significance, reflecting the universal character of the monument. We are in discussions with the British Museum and look forward to cooperating with the British side.
Madam Secretary of State,
The cornerstone of our bilateral relationship is the Greece - United Kingdom Bilateral Strategic Framework. It is no coincidence that Greece was the first EU Member State to sign an agreement of this kind with the United Kingdom following its withdrawal from the European Union.
This framework was further strengthened during the recent Third Annual Review, between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Papadopoulou and UK Minister of State Stephen Doughty.
It is both our wish and our firm conviction that we must work to elevate the relationship between our two countries to an even higher level, as history and the common understanding of our peoples demand.
Madam Secretary of State, I wish you every success in your duties and look forward to our constructive cooperation.
December 18, 2025