High-level visits reflect Greece’s growing geopolitical clout
The fact that representatives of the two superpowers, America and China, will be in Athens almost simultaneously in the upcoming days for meetings with the Greek leadership is a sign of the geopolitical significance of Greece at this moment in time.
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan will have arrived in Athens and finished a series of talks before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken touches down on Monday evening.
The unexpected window of calm seas in the Aegean after the tragic earthquakes in Turkey and Syria will be on the agenda of Blinken’s visit, as will, of course, the continued support of Ukraine by NATO partners, especially Greece.
Earlier, the Chinese official will have discussed pending issues in Greek-Sino relations, with the main one concerning COSCO’s presence in the port of Piraeus and its expansion plans, which have not yet come to fruition.
After the downturn in global trade due to the pandemic, the performance of the port of Piraeus has returned to an upward trend, which in itself indicates its importance both for China and for Greece, which remains the gateway for Chinese trade.
The intensification of interest of both the US and China is seen to be due to the crucial phase the Ukrainian war has entered as it affects long-term plans in various ways.
Discussions will also continue between US and Greek delegations on Tuesday when the 4th Strategic Dialogue and discussions on the updated protocol to the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) will take place.
For the Chinese, the deputy premier’s stop in Athens is part of Beijing’s current opening toward Europe.
