ΑΤΗΕΝS — A fundamental principle of Greece's foreign policy is its steadfast and full commitment to international law and the Law of the Sea, underlined Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias after the end of his meeting on Tuesday with the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in Athens.

Regarding the Greek-Turkish exploratory talks talking place in Athens on the same day, Dendias said that Greece is coming to these with a good will.

"We hope that they will lead to finding a common ground for the resolution of the one and only bilateral difference we have with Turkey, namely the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and of the continental shelf in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean," he said.

Greece, added Dendias, maintains close historic bonds with the Palestinian people as it is a western country that gave its active support at a time when Palestine did not have the international recognition or the support it has today, adding that Greece wishes to enhance its relations with Palestine on a bilateral and multilateral level. "We are looking forward to the intensification of the contacts and the two Foreign Ministries' general secreteriats meeting on April 12," he said.

Dendias repeated Greece's steadfast position regarding the peace process, saying that Greece supports a just and viable solution for the two countries, with Jerusalem as the capital of both, according to International Law and UN resolutions.

On his part, the Palestinian foreign minister said that it had been a warm and cordial meeting between friends. He reported a "positive discussion", adding that they share the same views on many issues in terms of the two countries' relations and the deepening of bilateral relations in many sectors, such as economic, trade and educational ties, among others.

"Greece accepts international law and on this basis we cooperate with Greece as a friendly nation," he said, underlining that he expects Dendias to visit Palestine to "continue the vital dialogue".

He said that they discussed "the issue of the peace process in the Middle East, the situation in Palestine, the preparations for the elections in Palestine and Israel as well as collaboration in the economic sector."

"We consider our relationship with Greece to be very deep and based on friendship, history and cooperation that go back a long way," he said.