Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius. There was no immediate report on the content of the discussions, which extended for approximately one hour.
This article is based on research presented at the UACES Graduate Forum 2023 (8-9 June, at IBEI, Barcelona).
Greece’s newly appointed defense minister has welcomed a de-escalation of tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, expressing hope this would lead to a “climate of trust” without directly referring to Turkey.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had a reportedly good phone conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday during which both men agreed to meet in Vilnius on the sidelines of next month’s NATO summit.
A meeting between defence industries and NATO on Thursday (15 June) has caused a serious backlash, mainly from those who were not invited, potentially jeopardising the military alliance’s drive to support a badly needed ramp-up of production.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom will meet his Turkish counterpart this week to discuss Sweden’s delayed NATO accession process, he told a broadcaster on Monday.
Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has expressed his hope that Turkey will relinquish its revisionist aspirations and actively participate in a meaningful dialogue aimed at resolving lingering disputes with Greece.
The recent announcements in Israel by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a pipeline that will transport natural gas from Israel’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to Cyprus for liquefaction (LNG) and export to European markets have, analysts say, all the makings of a new energy reality in the region.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is scheduled to visit Vienna on Tuesday to meet with his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg.
He stressed that he is excited by the depth of relations between the governments of Greece and Turkey, which, he said, are ready to talk.
