Him Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al -Simbani welcomes to Athens today George Gerapetritisin a move aimed at strengthening Greece’s diplomatic footprint in the eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey is trying to consolidate its own relations with the region’s centers.
This meeting is included In a broader grid of diplomatic movements and Athens -AGYRA competition, with eyes focused on critical countries such as Egypt, Libya and Syria.
Despite the obvious deepening of Turkish-Syrian relations, the Greek side estimates that Damascus cannot rely solely on Ankara and that the UN, in which Greece is actively involved, will play a decisive role in the country’s future stabilization.
Investment in cooperation with Syria
Athens acknowledges that Syria It is in a critical phase of political transition And it seeks to promote a model of governance, peaceful and open to the needs of minorities. The central point of the agenda will be the reunion with the Greek Orthodox community, which remains cautious about the transitional government of Damascus.
Greek diplomacy considers that The support of Christian minorities It can act as a key to seeking external legalization of Syrian leadership, while seeking to strengthen Greece’s role as a stability factor in the region. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sarah’s recent tie-a-tete-a-tete of Syrian President Ahmed al-Saras with Patriarch of Antioch John, which is estimated to have a positive impact For the Greek Orthodox communities that have been targeted by attacks lately.
Turkish counterattack in Damascus
At the same time, Turkey -Syrian relations are on the rise. The visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Damascus in early August, as well as the meetings of Syrian Foreign and Defense Ministers in Ankara, confirm the mood for closer cooperation. The two sides focus on both the common attitude towards the Kurds and on the maintenance of Syria’s territorial integrity, according to the interests of Damascus and Ankara.
Beyond security, Cooperation is also expanding to the economic level: Infrastructure reconstruction, Turkish investments at Damascus Airport and energy projects such as the supply of gas through a pipeline from Turkey.
The fear of an EEZ Agreement
In Athens, attention is focused In a possible EEZ delimitation agreement between Turkey and Syria – A possibility that could change balances and create new problems for Greece and Cyprus.
Although so far the information indicates that The issue is at an early stage, The Greek side is closely monitoring developments, knowing that such a move would open a new cycle of geopolitical tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.