Greek and Palestinian Ministers of Tourism meet, agree on 'future cooperation'

The Greek Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, met with Palestine's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani Al-Hayek and representatives of Palestinian tourism sector, in Athens. Tourism in Palestine, mainly pilgrimage tourism - an important income source, has been severely hit during the war on Gaza and the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East. The two Ministers "agreed on future cooperation, with an emphasis on the transfer of tourism know-how". The Greek government, and the PM in particular has received a lot of criticism from the opposition from being unusually close to the Netanyahu administration. NATO Member Greece hosts an important US naval base in Souda, Crete, while the Greek shipping community has long lasting relations with Arab, oil-exporting states.