German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will visit Greece and Turkey beginning to next week in an effort to mediate between the two neighboring countries and have them start a dialogue on their crucial issues. Maas’ tour is taking place ahead of the Gymnich, the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled in Berlin on August 27-28.
The meeting between Dendias and Maas will include the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, relations between the EU and Russia and the situation in Libya.
According to some Greek media on the table will be also the sanctions Athens is pushing for against Turkey.
Maas is scheduled to visit Ankara on Tuesday afternoon.
Berlin has undertaken the role of mediator between the two countries as Germany has the rotating Presidency of the European Union.
Worth noting that the NAVTEX Turkey has issued for the surveys of the seismic research vessel Oruc Reis expires Sunday midnight. It is interesting to see whether Turkey will withdraw the vessel and the accompanying warships form the East Mediterranean Sea or extend the NAVTEX thus escalating the tension with Greece.
For 12 days, the Orus Reis has been operating in the Greek continental shelf, provoking a standoff.
It will be the second visit of Heiko Mass in Athens in a month.