Google Button Μake us preferred on Google

Israel’s new ambassador to Greece, Pninat Yanai, described the latter as a “real friend and strategic ally” of the country, after meeting on Tuesday with Gen. Dimitrios Choupis, the chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, days after she officially took up the diplomatic post in Athens.

The Israeli embassy in Athens termed the meeting as “important and substantive,” with Yanai and Gen. Choupis holding an in-depth discussion on the strong strategic defense and security cooperation between Israel and Greece. The relationship is based on mutual trust, shared interests and a joint commitment to the security and stability of the region, the embassy stated.

“Greece is a real friend and strategic ally of Israel,” the embassy said in a post following the meeting. “Together, we will continue to deepen this important cooperation and make it even stronger. Israel and Greece — together, united.”

The meeting came a week after Yanai arrived in Athens to take up her post.

Her biography lists that she is an attorney, strategic adviser and media commentator with experience in defense, security, energy and international relations. Yanai was appointed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to succeed Noam Katz. She has said she intends to strengthen bilateral ties across defense, energy, technology and other areas while engaging more directly with Greek society.

Yanai’s arrival comes as Greece and Israel maintain an increasingly close strategic partnership centered on defense and security cooperation, alongside energy, technology and wider ties in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEEThA) also announced the meeting in a post on X.