MacroPolis

A week of intense diplomatic activity for Greece culminates on Friday with an emergency EU foreign affairs council teleconference and a meeting between Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Vienna.

Greece is stepping up its diplomatic efforts in the hope of securing a united European reaction to Turkey’s action in the Aegean as the Oruc Reis research vessel continued its activity in the area.

Athens is on alert after Turkey announce plans, via a NAVTEX advisory on Tuesday, for a seismic survey south and east of the Greek island of Kastellorizo between July 21 and August 2.

The telephone call last Friday between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seen by diplomatic sources in Athens as a first step for both sides to overcome the dead-end to which the recent lack of communication had been leading.

Developments in Libya, where a UN-backed government of National Accord (GNA) supported militarily by Turkey has scored some victories over Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, are causing concern in Athens.

Greece is trying to expand its diplomatic activity in the wake of its latest spat with Turkey as relations with Ankara remain the number one foreign policy issue for Athens.

Fresh from his trip to Washington, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with opposition leaders on Friday and was reminded that he would not have an easy ride from his political rivals over plans for closer defence cooperation with the US and his bid to change the electoral law.

The government appears satisfied with the result of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s first diplomatic tour in the US even though the Greek side did not elicit from the US president a public denouncement of Turkey's actions in the Eastern Mediterranean that Athens views as breaches of its sovereign rights.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had the opportunity on Tuesday to fill US President Donald Trump in on Greece’s economic recovery, while also gauging the level of support Athens can expect from Washington in the former’s escalating dispute with Turkey.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is due to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, just days after Greece, Cyprus and Israel signed the EastMed pipeline accord, a project that has been strongly backed by Washington.