"The ambition of Greece is to become a bridge between the eastern Mediterranean, the Gulf, the Balkans and Europe," the Greek foreign minister declared Thursday at the conclusion of a forum held in Athens with his counterparts from Arab countries and the Mediterranean basin.

The meeting, entitled "Philia Forum" (Friendship Forum) aims to "build friendship, peace and prosperity in the region," as emphasized by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, who seeks to strengthen ties in particular in the fields of energy and security.

According to analysts, this Greek-Arab meeting aims to form a common front against the ambitions of neighboring Turkey in the field of energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean.

Among the participants were the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Bahrain, Abd al-Latif bin Rashid al-Zayani, Cyprus, Nikolaos Christodoulides, Egypt Sameh Hassan Shukri, and the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem Al-Hashemi.

According to a ministerial source, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also participated in this meeting via video.

The Egyptian minister welcomed "good cooperation with Greece, Arab countries and Gulf states in the field of security."

He stressed the need to promote "stability in the region to exploit our resources and ensure a better future for our peoples."

Greece traditionally maintains good relations with Arab countries while developing its cooperation with the Israeli Occupation.