page_title: Greece–Israel relations
section_title: Current relations
hierarchical_section_title: Greece–Israel relations / Current relations
caption_attribution_description: Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman met today (13 January 2011) with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou (Photo: MFA)
context_page_description: Greece–Israel relations are the bilateral relationship between the Hellenic Republic and the State of Israel. Relations between the two countries were strained during the late 20th century, but since 2008 they have been among the strongest in the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel and Greece consider each other as strong collaborators in the aspects of military, intelligence, economy and culture. Both countries are part of the Energy Triangle, which referred to the extraction of oil and gas from both Israel and Cyprus by 2015, which will be delivered to mainland Europe with a pipeline through Greece. The deterioration of Israel's relations with Turkey following the Gaza flotilla raid has heavily contributed to the strengthening of Greek-Israeli relations.
  Greece and Israel today enjoy excellent diplomatic relations. Both countries are partners in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and members of the Union for the Mediterranean, the World Trade Organization and other international organizations. Israel is the second largest importer of Greek products in the Middle East.
context_section_description: Relations between Greece and Israel have improved since 1995 due to the decline of Israeli-Turkish relations under the AK Party of prime minister Erdoğan, Greece's desire to increase its deterrent power against Turkey and the improvement in U.S.-Greece relations. In 2006, President Moshe Katsav visited Greece, in what was the first official visit by an Israeli head of state.
  Greece–Israel relations improved further as Turkish-Israel relations worsened in the aftermath of the Gaza flotilla raid in May 2010. In July 2010 Greek Prime minister George Papandreou (son of Andreas Papandreou) made an official visit to Israel after many years, in order to improve bilateral relations between the two countries. During Netanyahu's reciprocal visit in August 2010, the leaders of the two states discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran, and military and economic cooperation in a one-on-one meeting that lasted an hour and a half.
  In January 2011 Foreign Minister of Israel Avigdor Liberman made a state visit to Athens. During that visit, the two countries reportedly set up a joint committee to study ways of improving cooperation on strategic and anti-terror issues.
caption: Foreign Minister of Israel Liberman meets with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou.
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