PM Mitsotakis in Berlin with packed agenda
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ talks in Berlin on Tuesday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will reportedly cover a wide range of issues focusing on the economy, energy, migration and the Middle East.
Their discussions will take place on the heels of the approval by the European Commission on Monday of funding for member-states to deal with the migrations issue, with Greece securing the highest amount to the tune of €42.4 million.
Also of particular significance is that the meeting between Mitsotakis and Scholz will precede the visit to Berlin on Friday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It should be noted that the confidence building measures (CBMs) between Greece and Turkey were introduced on Monday in Ankara, while the Turkish president is scheduled to visit Thessaloniki on December 7 to sign an agreement on migration.
The discussion on the economy between Mitsotakis and Scholz comes at a time when the Greek economy has entered a different phase, outperforming those of many eurozone countries, as it has regained investment grade status, seen the largest debt reduction in the world in 2022, and is on track to slash debt below 2012 levels by the end of the year.
According to the view in Athens, this places relations between the two countries on a better basis, with Mitsotakis wanting to send the message that Greece has finally left behind the crisis that created several problems in bilateral relations.
Also on the table of discussion will be energy and interconnectivity issues, which are critical for both countries, since Greece is a hub for energy transmission in the south-north corridor, and also a bridge between Europe, and the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean as far as Ukraine, and seeks to be a provider of energy security in the wider region.
