Tsipras to meet Lebanese counterpart at EU-Arab summit

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is on Monday to meet his Lebanese counterpart Saad Hariri on the sidelines of a summit of European Union and Arab leaders taking place at the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

In comments to the forum on Sunday, Tsipras said Greece aimed to become a "catalyst" and a "bridge" in efforts to boost EU-Arab dialogue.

Describing Greece as a country with "strong historic, cultural, economic and religious ties with the Arab world," Tsipras said that it, along with Cyprus, is situated in the triangle formed by North Africa, Europe and the Middle East, and has experienced the consequences of both the refugee and security crises.

However, the Greek premier also pointed to opportunities in the areas of transport, the economy, tourism and energy, and underlined the need to broad EU-Arab cooperation in general.