JERUSALEM: Israel and Greece are to set up a joint committee to promote strategic and security cooperation between the two countries, public radio said on Wednesday. The decision was taken during a historic two-day visit to Athens by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, from which he returned early on Wednesday. The committee is to study ways of improving bilateral cooperation on strategic issues and will also handle anti-terror issues, weapons and the planning of joint military training exercises. A senior Israeli official refused to confirm or deny the report although he said both sides backed plans to improve bilateral cooperation and that Greek Defence Minister Evangelos Venizelos was expected to visit Israel "in the near future." "Both sides are interested in significantly increasing cooperation in many sectors ... and particularly in the political and security arena," he said. The official also said Netanyahu had held talks with Greek counterpart George Papandreou on board a warship sold by Israel to Greece in recent years. The Greek defense minister and foreign minister also attended the meeting, he said, without giving further details. The landmark trip was the first time Israeli head of government has visited to Greece, which has traditionally been pro-Arab and did not recognize the Jewish state until 1991. The move to increase security and strategic cooperation comes as diplomatic ties between Israel and neighboring Turkey have soured in the wake of an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May that left nine Turks dead. Israeli and Greek officials have made a show of saying their closening ties were not tied to the diplomatic crisis with Ankara, a traditional rival of Athens.
