Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ crucial meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began in Vilnius, Lithuania, a few minutes after 12 noon and is expected to last about half an hour. It is the first meeting between the two leaders since the meeting in Istanbul 16 months ago and was preceded by the “Mitsotakis yoke” by Erdogan.

The two leaders appeared smiling in the short dialogue they had in front of the camera. In fact, they commented that the two governments have a new composition, but there is good contact.

What has come before

The “Green” light opened by Turkey for Sweden’s accession to NATO automatically means one rapprochement of neighbors with the West. From February onwards violations are a thing of the past and all that was left was some harsh words and an aggressive rhetoric just to maintain the feud.

Greece, Turkey and Cyprus have new governments with a long time horizon with several analysts believing that there is one little hope for a “restart”.

Foreign policy, however, has continuity as do the many problems that exist. No one hopes that everything will suddenly disappear Tayyip Erdogan will love Greece.

His visions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean they are not going to change. This is why they are not complacent in the triangle of Maximos, Pentagon and Vasilissis Sophia. Who believes that Turkish provocative air activity will remain at zero levels? No. The only differences recognized by the Greek side – and this is clarified – are the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ.

No one is predicting, however, that there will be a repeat of 2019 when the two leaders first met. The government term of Kyriakos Mitsotakis began then and Greek-Turkish had caught fire. The Turkish-Libyan memorandum, the summer with the Oruchs Reis crisis and the migration issue in the Evros brought the relations of the two countries to a nadir. The question for Athens, in order to maintain a calm climate, is Ankara to stop raising issues that constitute “red lines” for the Greek side, such as the demilitarization of the islands, but also the doctrine of the “Blue Homeland”.

And this message was sent yesterday by Kyriakos Mitsotakis from Vilnius.

The Greek Prime Minister will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Papadopouloubut also the diplomatic advisor of Mr. Mitsotakis, Anna Maria Bura.

On the Turkish side, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will be with Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hakan Fidanthe press representative Chagatai Kilica close advisor to the Turkish president, and possibly the Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

There will be parallel meetings of Giorgos Gerapetritis with Hakan Fidan and Nikos Dendias Yasar Guler. It will be of great interest if the prime minister somehow puts on the table the issue of the Turkish consulate’s intervention in the country’s political affairs in Thracewhich occupied a lot of the pre-election debate in Greece.

It has already been announced that there is an agreement to promote the dialogue at the level of confidence-building measures (MOE). The US is urging a de-escalation of tensions with Erdogan, who has nevertheless launched a new “bargain” for the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. He wishes to rename them to “turkish straits” showing how attempts to alter international treaties (Montreux Convention) do not stop, as do the claims.

THE Tayyip Erdogan has shown how he wishes to improve his relations with his neighbours. Approach steps he has made with her Egypt and Israel. In any case when the two leaders of Greece and Turkey meet, the development of a positive agenda is the main thing. Energy, road and rail transport, trade, and tourism are common points of possible bilateral cooperation.

As well as exploratory contacts in order to maintain the dialogue. If things between Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Tayyip Erdogan go well the two men’s next possible date could be the annual UN meeting in New York at the end of September.