US official hails Dendias, Cavusoglu meeting as ‘moving’
“It was moving to see Foreign Minister Dendias and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu together looking at the horrible destruction that the earthquake wreaked in Turkey,” US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried told a press conference in Washington on Wednesday, referring to the recent visit by Greece’s top diplomat, Nikos Dendias, to neighboring Turkey and his meeting with his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
“I think, frankly, it reminded all of us of our shared humanity. And I think that really is what is called for at this moment. That’s what allies are for, that’s what friends are for. When one of us is in trouble, the rest of us go and do our best to help,” Donfried added, speaking at a press conference about US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s upcoming visit to Germany, Turkey and Greece.
With regards to his February 20 trip to Athens, Donfried confirmed that Blinken will be launching the Fourth US-Greek Strategic Dialogue, while meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Dendias and opposition leader Alexis Tsipras.
She said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the earthquake in Turkey and Syria will top the agenda of talks, though the Balkans are also expected to be discussed.
“We’ve seen Greece consistently play a role in supporting the European Union’s enlargement more broadly in the Balkans. And so, on North Macedonia, certainly Greece has been a champion of North Macedonia and other Western Balkans countries in terms of their pursuing that Euro-Atlantic future and seeking membership in the European Union,” Donfried said.
