PM Mitsotakis in Brussels for NATO summit, meeting with Erdogan
epa09269674 Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives to attend a NATO summit at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 14 June 2021. The 30-nation alliance hopes to reaffirm its unity and discuss increasingly tense relations with China and Russia, as the organization pulls its troops out after 18 years in Afghanistan. EPA/KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / POOL
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
A one-on-one meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels on Monday will be an opportunity to take a further step closer in Greek-Turkish relations, government sources said.
They noted that this builds on the two rounds of exploratory talks held previously and an exchange of visits by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Ankara and Athens, respectively.
The same sources said that it’s a standing position of the Greek government that channels of communication with Turkey remain open despite the often differing and in many cases diametrically opposed positions of the two sides on many issues. A de-escalation of Turkish actions and rhetoric was a constant goal in order to make a gradual improvement in relations possible, they added.
As the prime minister said in an interview on Sunday with France 24, Athens is striving for a summer season without tensions and makes sure to highlight at every opportunity that Turkey’s behaviour toward Greece and Cyprus directly reflects on its relations with the European Union, especially in the light of the upcoming European Council on June 24-25 where progress in EU-Turkish relations will be reviewed.
Based on the official schedule, Mitsotakis is to meet Erdogan after the conclusion of the NATO summit at 17:05 Greek time.
Source: ANA – MPA
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