Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis’ statements following his meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, Fuad Hussein (Baghdad,[...]

Honorable Deputy Prime Minister, dear colleague,

It is a great honor to be in Baghdad today. It is a lifetime dream to be in your precious country, a country that holds such a special importance in world history and civilization. Thank you for your generous hospitality to myself and to my delegation.

The relations between our countries and peoples can be traced back to ancient times, the Hellenistic period and even earlier. Greece and Iraq are pillars of ancient civilizations that have profoundly influenced the entire world.

The legacy of Alexander the Great serves as the most powerful element of our shared history and I think we should rely on this great legacy of our ancient civilizations.

Your Excellency,

Following your kind invitation during our recent meeting at the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, I am visiting Baghdad today to confirm our shared commitment to giving a new impetus to our economic and cultural exchanges and political interaction.

The intensification of contacts between our two countries over the last two months confirms our mutual will to develop our already well-founded and friendly relations further.

Iraq is among Greece's most important trade partners. Today, we review the prospects, as the Minister just mentioned, for further advancing our economic cooperation, particularly in investments, energy, academia, tourism, agriculture, construction, and water management technology.

We agreed to draw on the untapped potential to develop our economic relations with the view of increasing the volume of our bilateral trade. The 9th session of our Joint Ministerial Committee, which took place 10 days ago between the two Deputy Ministers here in Baghdad, was a promising step in this direction.

We are looking forward to a politically stable environment in Iraq so that we have a fruitful area to build upon.

Additionally, following the launch of direct flights between Athens and Erbil, I was very happy today to announce the first flight from Athens to Baghdad, on the 16th of December, of the Greek air-carrier, Aegean Airlines. I think this will substantially boost our people-to-people, economic, but also cultural ties. I am very proud that Greece is going to be the first country to have direct air flights to Baghdad from the European Union countries.

Your Excellency,

As an elected member of the United Nations Security Council for 2025-2026, Greece remains a steadfast supporter of International Law, including the Law of the Sea and is committed to the norms and principles enshrined in the UN Charter; the respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of disputes.

Today, I had the opportunity to visit one of the most influential countries in the region. Your efforts in promoting peace are immense, and, in particular, given the volatile and turbulent times and region.

Greece, as an honest interlocutor with all Arab countries, places particular importance in contributing to regional stability and prosperity in the broader Middle East.

For Gaza, which we discussed with the Deputy Prime Minister, the "Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit" offers a glimmer of hope and allows us to cautiously hope for the termination of hostilities and the establishment of a lasting and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.

Greece aspires to play an active role in the next day for Gaza, including through its contributions to the region's reconstruction and the provision of humanitarian aid to alleviate the humanitarian disaster in the region.

During our meeting, we also touched upon the situation in Syria. I reiterated Greece's long-standing support for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. I underlined that the Syrian transitional government must fulfill the commitment it has undertaken on inclusive government, ensuring representation of all ethnic and religious communities, including Syrian Christians.

I seize the opportunity to thank the Deputy Prime Minister for his constructive stance and cooperation within regional organizations. Greece is ready to advocate for enhancing relations between the European Union and Iraq and fostering economic growth and development in the broader region.

Your Excellency,

It was really a great honor for me to be here today in one of the most significant countries of the region and the world.

As you know, Greece holds the presidency of the Ancient Civilizations Forum for 2025. It would be a great honor to host you in the upcoming 9th Ministerial Meeting to be held next December in Athens. This is going to be a further opportunity for us to discuss about the significant upside in our bilateral relationship.

With this thought, I would like once again to express my gratitude for the hospitality to my Iraqi colleague and friend, and for this warm welcome.

Thank you so much.

October 30, 2025