ATHENS, March 17 (Reuters) – Greece does not back any separate deals that would allow ships to enter and exit the Strait of Hormuz but wants a durable solution to safeguard peace in the region, its Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said on Tuesday.
“We do not think that it is optimal to have separate agreements, so that ships enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz,” Gerapetritis told reporters alongside his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Berlin.
“What we want is a well-established lasting solution, which will ensure peace and this can only be done under a wider alliance and under the auspices of international organizations and in particular the United Nations,” he said.
Greece is a dominant force in global shipping, controlling one of the world’s largest merchant fleets. Many ships that are Greek owned or managed are in the wider Gulf area, with crews including dozens of Greek seafarers.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – a vital gateway for about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade – has been disrupted amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Aidan Lewis)
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