Packed meetings schedule for Greek PM in the US

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will have a packed schedule of bilateral meetings in New York this week following his speech at the United Nations Climate Change Summit.

Mitsotakis is expected to hold talks with more than 10 leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In his first meeting with the American leader Tuesday, Mitsotakis will get an opportunity to discuss the next phase of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue (set to proceed with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Athens on October 6-7).

A day later, he is scheduled to meet Erdogan, with talks expected to focus on increased migration flows in the Aegean.

During his visit, Mitsotakis is to meet with fund representatives and investors as well as members of the Greek diaspora.

During his presentation at the UN conference, called by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to encourage climate action ahead of 2020 (the year when countries are due to up their pledges under the Paris Agreement), Mitsotakis was expected to stress the risks posed by climate change to world cultural heritage – including the erosion of ancient monuments – as well as steps taken by Greece with the support of UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization to counter the threat.

He was also expected to present Greece’s steps to boost renewable energy, waste management and the green economy.

Mitsotakis is accompanied on his trip by several ministers including Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, deputies Kostas Frangogiannis and Antonis Diamataris, and government spokesman Stelios Petsas.