Mitsotakis and Erdogan to meet at NATO summit

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to meet Wednesday during the NATO 75th anniversary summit in Washington, DC. The meeting between the two leaders is anticipated to be brief.

During the summit, Mitsotakis will address ongoing issues with North Macedonia regarding the 2018 Prespa Agreement, which resolved a long-standing dispute by renaming the Balkan country to North Macedonia. Recent elections in North Macedonia brought a right-wing government that has publicly continued to use the name “Macedonia,” contrary to the agreement. Athens has criticized this stance and plans to raise the issue at the summit, warning that it jeopardizes Skopje’s European integration prospects.

Mitsotakis arrived in Washington on Monday and will remain until Friday. On Wednesday evening, he will attend a White House dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden and hold discussions with US lawmakers. He is also scheduled to meet with former US Ambassador to Athens Daniel Speckhard on Tuesday and with former Deputy National Security Advisor Nadia Schadlow during the NATO Public Forum on Wednesday.

After the NATO Summit, Mitsotakis will travel to New York for a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday. He will be accompanied by Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, who will sign a military mobility corridor agreement with Bulgaria and Romania. Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis will also join Mitsotakis and participate in a US State Department event focused on security and gender issues.