Against the backdrop of geopolitical upheavals in the Eastern Mediterranean and the ever -changing security environment in Europe, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis today meets his Italian counterpart George Meloni. The two leaders will have individual talks with defense, energy security, migratory flows and coordination on critical European issues, and shortly thereafter, the Greek-Italian Supreme Cooperation Council will meet for the first time since 2017.
At the heart of the talks will be to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the areas of defense and security, the common stance of Greece and Italy as frontline countries in migration, as well as the wider challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean, from Libya to Syria. Particular emphasis is expected to be placed on the need for a common European external border strategy, as well as the EU-Country cooperation with the aim of controlling flows and increasing returns.
Mr. Mitsotakis is leaving for Rome – Meeting with Melon, meets the Supreme Cooperation Council
Thorn the military cooperation with Turkey
However, one of the most sensitive shadow issues on the European Defense Agenda is the recent Italian-Turkish approach to defense. The Melon-Erdogan meeting in Ankara and the debate on equipment programs, including Turkish drones, are causing reflection in Athens. The Greek side is monitoring developments, given the fragile security balance in the Eastern Mediterranean and the stable Turkish dispute of sovereign rights in the Aegean.
According to diplomatic sources, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to raise the issue in an institutional way, recalling that defense cooperation within the European family cannot ignore the security and sensitivities of the Member States, nor undermine the common deterrence strategy.
Thorn Hellenic Train at Mitsotaki – Melon
The postponed Greek -Italian summit due to Tempi is back on the background of cooperation on the railways and open accounts. The Supreme Cooperation Council, scheduled for February 19, was then frozen in the shadow of revelations for a potential dangerous cargo on the trade train of the accident. The public report by then Minister of Transport Christos Staikouras on a re -examination of the contract with the Hellenic Train, a subsidiary of the state Italian Trenitalia, has caused a nuisance to Rome.
Although the government has since rejected a stern – as the existence of a flammable cargo is still under investigation – the case remains a “thorn” in the two sides’ relations, as it appeared at the meeting with Mitsotakis and Meloni. Athens is calling on Trenitalia investment and renewal of the fleet, as the prime minister recalled in the cabinet on April 28. However, it was preceded by a preparatory visit by Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis to Rome and a meeting with the Minister and Vice -President of the Government Matteo Salvini.
Prospects of agreements and reinforcement of interconnections
At the same time, a series of agreements in areas such as trade, investment, energy, transport, agricultural development and civil protection are expected to be announced under the Supreme Cooperation Council. The prospect of enhancing the Greece-Italy electric interconnection is a special place, as well as the emergence of the two countries into critical transit hubs between Europe and North Africa.
In Rome, Foreign Ministers George Gerapetritis, Defense Nikos Dendias, Prime Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, Development Takis Theodorikakos, Rural Development Kostas Tsiaras, Digital Government, Digital Government, Digital Government, Deputy Minister of Environment Nikos Tsafos.
The visit is part of the strengthening of Greece-Italy strategic relations and follows the meeting of the two leaders in Athens in August 2023. The aim of Athens, through these bilateral contacts, is to highlight a strong European Front for security, immigration and immigration management issues. Mediterranean.