Age-old foes Greece and Turkey will commence next week key talks on a list of confidence building measures designed to ease tensions between the two NATO allies, officials announced.
The April 22 talks, said officials in Athens, aimed to “foster trust and cooperation” between the neighboring nations.
Ambassador Theoharis Lalakos will lead the Greek delegation with Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Burak Akçapar from the Turkish side.The scheduled meeting will mark a continuation of talks previously held in Ankara last November.
In the lead-up to the talks, both countries will participate in reciprocal visits by military officials.
The first exchange will see the Greek Commander of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, stationed in Kavyli, Evros, visiting the Turkish 54th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Edirne on April 16-17. Two days later, theTurkish Commander of the 4th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, based in Kesan, will be hosted by the Greek 31st Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Feres.
Officials says the exchanges bear testament to ongoing efforts by Greece and Turkey to navigate their complex relationship through constructive engagement. Still, cautious optimism looms as to whether CBMs to be charted will pave for more peaceful and cooperative relations between the two long-standing adversaries.