ATHENS – The presidents of Greece and Israel celebrate the 30th anniversary of the start of full diplomatic relations on Thursday by confirming the continuity of friendship and business association of the two countries.

In a joint statement, Greece's Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Israel's Reuven Rivlin said they jointly celebrate "the past, present and future of our bilateral relations" and noted the particular sectors of collaboration between the two countries – economy, energy, tourism, defense, technology and culture, among others.

They also made particular mention of Greece and Israel's tripartite collaboration with the Cyprus Republic, and the more active participation of the United States, in promoting jointly regional security, stability and growth.