Merkel visit to Athens finalized for October 29

A visit by outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Athens has been finalized for October 29. As revealed by Kathimerini, the chancellor had been invited to Greece by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during the European Union Slovenia summit. Chancellor Merkel accepted the invitation on the spot but there was no date fixed.

Before relinquishing the chancellorship, Merkel has been visiting several countries. On Saturday, Merkel visited Istanbul and met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In a joint press conference, the chancellor stressed the importance of maintaining exploratory talks between Greece and Turkey for the resolution of outstanding differences.