Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev, Thursday.
The leaders discussed the latest developments in Ukraine and efforts to reach a peaceful solution, after hostilities have intensified between the two sides in the eastern part of Ukraine.
The Greek PM said the Greek people had close historic and cultural ties with the wider region, also referencing the Greek community residing in the conflict area.
Mr. Tsipras said the talks included possible collaborations in the fields of energy, tourism and infrastructure and ways to draw up a clear road-map to overcome the crisis. “Greece respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and with President Poroshenko we talked about the safety of Ukrainian citizens of Greek descent”, Tsipras said.
The Greek PM later met with representatives of Ukraine’s large Greek community, estimated at over 100,000. Before his meeting with Mr. Poroshenko the Greek PM visited the historic Orthodox Christian Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kiev accompanied by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.