Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis briefed political leaders on Wednesday, one at a time, on escalating developments in Syria and the Middle East, alongside progress in Greek-Turkish relations and Cyprus, as the country readies for its two-year tenure on the United Nations Security Council starting January 1.

The Greek-Turkish rapprochement process is moving within a framework of step-by-step efforts to maintain a calm climate and manage issues that could provoke tensions in the immediate future. Naturally, the significant distance separating the two countries on the major issue of maritime delimitation defines both the framework and the limits of this challenging undertaking.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is visiting Lebanon on Friday, marking a significant political gesture as the first European Union leader to travel to Beirut since the ceasefire agreement in the region. 

The visit underscores Greece's commitment to fostering stability and security in the Middle East, according to government sources.

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met in Brussels on Wednesday, laying the groundwork for a pivotal summit between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Greek and Turkish foreign ministers Giorgos Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan are set to meet amid challenging conditions to maintain scheduled talks.

Meetings are planned either on Tuesday or Wednesday in Brussels or at the OSCE meeting in Malta. Concurrently, other diplomatic processes, including the positive agenda and political dialogue, are ongoing.

Last night, Sir Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, lit the Christmas tree outside Downing Street for the first time during his term. Today, at 12:45 PM Greek time, Kyriakos Mitsotakis will officially meet with Mr.

Most prime ministers in the post-dictatorship period have wanted to come to some form of agreement with Turkey. Konstantinos Karamanlis certainly did, Andreas Papandreou made a solid effort at Davos, Konstantinos Mitsotakis thought of it constantly and Kostas Simitis pursued it systematically.

The Greek government has decided that progress in resolving differences with Turkey over maritime zones and the two countries' continental shelf in the Aegean Sea is all but impossible. It has thus shifted its priorities back to maintaining contacts and engaging in lower-level talks.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, during his visit to Athens on Tuesday, emphasized Greece's critical role in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, a significant element of a newly signed bilateral security agreement. The agreement aims to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. 

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias welcomed NATO's new Secretary General, Mark Rutte, to the Ministry of Defense on Tuesday.

According to a post by Dendias, their meeting focused on developments in Ukraine, EU-NATO relations, Greece's relations with alliance member states in the broader region, as well as regional and international security issues.