Vassilis Kikilias had a meeting with Israeli Transport Minister Mirir Rengev at the Ministry of Maritime and Island Policy, with the aim of cooperation in the fields of transport, maritime interconnections and regional security.

The Israeli minister expressed its assessment to the government and the people of Greece for their contribution to Israeli citizens, especially after the missile attacks by Iran.

He also welcomed the resumption of flights to Israel by the Aegean airline, characterizing the important step in boosting tourism and financial links.

The two ministers discussed the fact that the Houthi constitute a constant threat of security in the Red Seaas well as the possibility of future marine interconnections of Greece – Israel, including in the context of emergency scenarios.

Concerning Houthi, Mr Kikilias pointed out that this is a very serious problem that intensifies volatility, causing serious problems in shipping and sailors, but also in commerce and economy, leading to a rapid increase in prices, including energy.

As he pointed out, the Port body It closely monitors the situation and proceeds with constant updates of security guidelines to Greek flag and ownership ships. The minister recalled that, during his tenure at the Ministry of Tourism, Israeli tourist arrivals were increasing significantly, and special dynamics were also recorded in real estate markets by Israeli investors in Greece.

At the same time, he referred to his close cooperation with Israel and as Minister of Health – the management of the pandemic – as well as civil protection, on issues of natural disasters and cross -border aid.

Finally, he expressed the hope that the Balance in the Middle East, warninghowever, that any further destabilization in the area could have, inter alia, as a direct consequence of the rapid increase in migratory flows to the European Union.