Greece wants durable solution to ensure free shipping in Hormuz Strait

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.