Mitsotaki-Putin four in Sochi – What is the agenda of the talks

Of Dimitris Gatsiou

At 12 noon, Greek time, the first meeting of Kyriakos Mitsotakis with Vladimir Putin takes place in Sochi, Russia, after the election of the government, in July 2019.

The Prime Minister, who has been at the famous Black Sea resort since last night, which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, is preparing for an in-depth discussion with the President of the Russian Federation.

The agenda of the talks between the two leaders will be multifaceted. Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Putin, in their first four quarters after 2016, are expected to bring to the front line:

– Bilateral relations.

– Energy cooperation, in a critical global situation (Russia is a major supplier of our country, as almost 46% of natural gas imported by Greece and 9.5% of crude oil comes from Russia).

– Cooperation in the fields of tourism, culture and education.

– International and regional developments, with emphasis on the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya.

– The front of the pandemic virus, in the shadow of the appearance of the new “Omicron” strain of Covid-19.

Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Putin are expected to adopt a Joint Action Plan for the years 2022-2024, which will identify the main axes of bilateral cooperation for the coming years, followed by the successful, as characterized by government officials, 13th Joint Interministerial Meeting. Greece-Russia Commission.

“The only viable solution to the Cyprus problem is a solution that will fully respect all Security Council resolutions and our position is clear.

There can be no solution without the abolition of the anachronistic system of guarantees and the rights of third parties to intervene in the issues of Cyprus.

And of course, no solution can exist without the complete withdrawal of the occupying Turkish troops from the island. Unfortunately, what we are seeing from Turkey is an ongoing intransigence and unacceptable aggression, both on land and in the sea zones of Cyprus.

And of course, if the plans for the settlement of the enclosed city of Varosia continue, they will condemn any attempt for a mutually acceptable solution “, stressed Mr. Mitsotakis, in the context of the Tripartite Greece-Cyprus-Israel Summit and a few hours before the fourth with President Putin.

Looking at the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region, there are two facts that need to be highlighted, in anticipation of the meeting of Messrs. Mitsotakis and Putin.

Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has repeatedly stated its commitment to international law of the sea.

As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, for example, did when he visited Athens in October 2020 amid escalating Turkish provocation in the Eastern Mediterranean.

-Moscow’s firm position on the Cyprus issue. It supports a solution based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation without foreign troops and guarantees.

According to government officials, the fourth of the two leaders is taking place at a fragile juncture in Russia’s relations with NATO and Europe.

Greece is a member of the European Union and NATO, which are the basis of its foreign policy. Supports and respects the decisions of these organizations. This, however, does not preclude the expansion of relations with Russia.

The Prime Minister’s position, which he has also supported within the European Council, is that the channels of communication between Brussels and Moscow must remain open.