MacroPolis

The European Union is set to agree on Tuesday, during a video conference of foreign and EU affairs ministers, for North Macedonia and Albania to begin their long-awaited accession talks.

Greek diplomats have been consumed by their country’s relations with Turkey and the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean over the last couple of months.

Athens is planning specific moves to bolster its role in the Balkans and to avert any developments that could be against Greek interests following France’s decision to veto accession talks for North Macedonia and Albania.

Athens is watching closely the political developments in North Macedonia, which is heading for snap elections on April 12 that were triggered by France vetoing the opening of EU accession talks with Skopje during the recent European Council.

Turkey’s actions in Syria and the East Med, as well as the EU prospects of Albania and North Macedonia are top of the diplomatic agenda for Greece this week, amid high-level meetings between European officials.

Athens appears satisfied with the results of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s first appearance last week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he also held a series of meetings with foreign leaders and investors.

Athens is trying through diplomatic channels to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The Greek government is seeking the way and the right time to launch discussions with Turkey, which Athens feels has been provoking Greece in recent weeks.

Athens is closely following the political impasse in Albania, which has led to a clash between Ilir Meta and Prime Minister Edi Rama on the issue of the local elections.

Greece joined last week the China-backed coalition of central and eastern European nations, the so called 16+1 group, becoming the 17th member of the collective.