Greece / Turkey
To Vima, 14 May 2010.

Fish dinner diplomacy

Published on 14 May 2010 at 13:38
To Vima, 14 May 2010.

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"A highly symbolic visit and scant hope,” headlines To Vima as Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s pays an historic visit to Greece. But “Athens remains wary”, observes the Greek daily: “the Greek government wants to keep a low profile as Ankara tests out an economic diplomacy offensive” smack in the middle of the Greek financial crisis. One of the main points on the agenda for Greek prime minister George Papandreou and Erdogan, who has come with half his cabinet and a hundred businessmen, will be the proposed creation of a common council of ministers. What’s more, 21 cooperation deals are to be signed in various domains, including energy, illegal immigration, education and tourism. According to government sources, thorny matters like divided Cyprus, an ongoing territorial row over part of the Aegean Sea, or the reopening of the Greek Orthodox divinity school Halki (near Istanbul) will be thrashed out in private by the two leaders over some fresh fish. “This may be the beginning of a new form of diplomacy,” heralds To Vima.

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