NEW YORK (ANA-MPA/G. Garantzioti)
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis referred to the postponement of the meeting between Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“There was a scheduled meeting between the two leaders. It is obvious that the schedule changed due to meetings that were extremely important. An attempt was made to identify a mutually convenient time for the meeting; however, it appears that this effort was unsuccessful. There is no intention to cease the dialogue,” he stated in a comment to ERT, stressing that Greece aims for a structured dialogue with Türkiye. He also noted that there will be an opportunity in the near future for the two leaders to meet.
Asked about the relationship with Egypt after his meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Gerapetritis said there is strategic cooperation “which is very deep and is developing over time.” He stressed that there are many issues, both bilateral and regional. “Egypt is a strategic partner, and we will continue efforts to find common alliances and policies so that we can develop,” he said. Regarding the St Catherine monastery on Mount Sinai, he mentioned that following the ecclesiastical normalisation of the monastery’s administration, he is actively working with his Egyptian counterpart to establish an agreement that will ensure the monastery’s continuity and viability while safeguarding its Greek Orthodox character. “This is an extremely complex technical discussion. It is an issue that goes back centuries. Our effort in the coming period is to find an operational solution so that the monastery can maintain its unchanged character,” he said.
