The US, the EU and the Eastern Mediterranean

The visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Greece reconfirms the interest of the US in Eastern Mediterranean affairs. Washington continuously advocates for Greece and Turkey to solve their differences via dialogue. But while a few years ago its mediation was a sine qua non parameter when tensions had to be de-escalated, the European Union did recently score significant foreign policy points. No one would disagree that Germany - both Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who was personally involved in shuttle diplomacy - played a catalytic role in giving diplomacy a chance.

This is not the right time for celebrations though. The crisis is far from over and the most delicate part of the task is not just to relaunch exploratory talks between Greece and Turkey but make dialogue a success. The process will be long-term and requires patience and good will....