Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul have called for an active European Union role in Middle East peacekeeping and maritime security, announcing a new bilateral strategic partnership as both countries warned that Europe cannot afford to remain a bystander in one of the world's most volatile regions.
Speaking after talks at the Maximos Mansion, Mr. Mitsotakis said Europe must be "present" in the region following any future peace settlement, with particular support directed toward Lebanon's government and armed forces.
He stressed that freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is a non-negotiable global necessity — and that Greece, as the world's largest shipping nation, has an existential stake in ensuring no precedent is set that allows any state to restrict international maritime passage.
"To reach the point where we begin building bridges, we must first stop blowing them up," Mr. Mitsotakis said.
Mr. Wadephul, who took office in 2025 under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said the EU has vital interests in the Strait of Hormuz and called for a unified European response to collective threats spanning the Middle East and Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.
He described Greece as a "strategic anchor" in the Mediterranean and said the two nations are forging closer ties to build a Europe capable of defending its values.
The talks formalized a new Greek-German Strategic Partnership and covered Greece's upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU in late 2027, as well as negotiations over the new Multiannual Financial Framework.
The meeting reflects a broader European recalibration as the continent seeks to project influence in a Middle East reshaped by conflict, with Greece and Cyprus increasingly positioned as the EU's frontline interlocutors in the region.