In the ongoing efforts to foster a positive relationship between Greece and Turkey, Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the NATO Council of Foreign Ministers on Wednesday.
According to Greek diplomatic sources, during this meeting, which lasted about an hour, they discussed issues related to the upcoming visit of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Ankara in mid-May.
The successful initiation visa program for Turkish citizens to visit ten Greek islands was also discussed. The smooth implementation of this plan has already begun on five Aegean islands, and the remaining five Greek islands will be added to the program within the next few weeks. On the issue of migration, the two foreign ministers agreed that cooperation should continue, to contain migration flows in the Evros region and the Aegean Sea.
According to the same sources, the results of recent municipal elections in Turkey are not expected to change the timetable of cooperation between Turkey and Greece. The next round of confidence-building measures is scheduled for April 22 in Athens, while discussions on the positive agenda will take place on April 26 in Istanbul.
The leaders of Greece and Turkey are expected to meet in Ankara in mid-May, and another meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries to prepare for the leaders’ meeting in Ankara has not been ruled out.
