Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday, referred to the brilliant cultural and civilizational history of Iran and Greece, saying: “This visit can be a good start for increasing exchanges and long-term cooperation between the two countries.”
Referring to the Greek prime minister’s remarks about the existence of conflicting viewpoints and interests in Europe, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “This criticism against Europe is sustained that unlike the past, it lacks an independent will in the face of America, which Europeans must do away with this weakness.”
With respect to the Greek prime minister’s remarks on the issue of Syria, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “Terrorism is a contagious and very dangerous disease, which could be controlled provided that everybody dealt with it seriously, but unfortunately, certain [governments] are directly or indirectly aiding terrorist currents.”
Highlighting commonalities and convergence between policies pursued by Iran and Greece, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Your Excellency and your government follow an independent policy and line, which we hope you would be able to overcome economic problems [in your country] and this trip would be a step toward further strengthening of the two countries’ interests.”
During this meeting, which was also attended by Iran’s First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, Mr. Alexis Tsipras, prime minister of Greece, addressed the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, saying: “You are the Leader of great and honorable people, who have played a determining role in history and also in defending their ideals and independence.”
Mr. Tsipras described his Iran visit as a sign of the existence of a joint political will in the two countries for boosting cooperation at all levels, adding: “This trip is a turning point in bilateral relations and will be in the best interests of both countries.”
Pointing to conflicting viewpoints and interests as well as complications and problems in Europe, the Greek prime minister said: “The European countries have interdependent economies and any change in them is very difficult. To fix this situation, the composition of forces in the European Union must change.”
On the issue of Syria, Mr. Tsipras said: “We hope to witness positive developments in the case of Syria, because this crisis has humanitarian dimensions, which have forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes due to terrorists’ attacks and migrate to other countries including Greece.”