Heiko Maas

An agreement between Belgrade and Pristina would not only improve regional stability, but would also open up the prospects of "two countries" separately for EU membership, Heiko Maas, German Minister of Foreign Affairs said.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Monday held a telephone call with his German counterpart Heiko Maas in view of the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council which is responsible for the EU's external action.

In a tweet, Dendias said the conversation focused on recent regional developments.

No more details were immediately available.

European Union foreign ministers have agreed to a "wait-and-see" approach towards Turkey, with some member-states appearing more skeptical of Ankara's recent overtures.

Just a week before the resumption of the 61st round of exploratory contacts between the two countries, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Greece of "provocations" and "illegal militarization of islands," warning that "if Athens insists on not cooperating, then the responsibility for any tensions will be on its shoulders."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said relations with the European Union are in a "more positive place" but continued to accuse Greece of raising obstacles to exploratory talks planned for later this month.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Jan. 18 called for a "solution-oriented" dialogue between Turkey and Greece to resolve disputes between the two countries and de-escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will pay a one-day visit on Jan. 18 to hold talks on Turkey-EU relations days before Ankara and Brussels are set to engage in an intense dialogue to re-energize ties and discuss the renewal of a 2016 migrant deal.

Germany is against Greece's demands of imposing an arms embargo on Turkey due to tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, the German foreign minister said on Dec. 22. 

Heiko Maas told the DPA news agency that he finds the arms embargo on Turkey "strategically incorrect".

The European Union needs to respond jointly and in a coordinated fashion to a new coronavirus strain that was first reported in Britain to limit its spread to other states, Germany's foreign minister said on Monday.

European foreign ministers will discuss measures against Turkey at their meeting on Monday as there has been no de-escalation in the conflict in the eastern Mediterranean in the past months, Germany's foreign minister said on Monday.