Government Vice-President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Friday said that Greece unequivocally condemns the “recent desecration and vandalism of the chapel of the Holy Spirit, on the hill of Saint Sion, in Jerusalem, by extremist religious elements.”

“This is an abhorrent act that is an affront to the religious sensibilities of all the faithful and to the historic role of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem as an agent for the reconciliation and peaceful co-existence of all doctrines and religions,” he added.

He pointed out that the Foreign Ministry has issued instructions to the Greek Embassy in Israel and the Greek Consulate General in Jerusalem to proceed to all the necessary actions in order to ensure – in cooperation with the Israeli authorities – the protection of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and its foundations.

“The Greek government expects that the Israeli authorities will proceed to the necessary actions to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators and the avoidance of a repetition of similar incidents,” he concluded.