The leaders of Greece and Turkey have agreed to resume talks and confidence-building measures as they hailed a new “positive climate” in their often fraught ties.
The two neighbouring countries have been at odds for decades over several issues, including energy resources, overflights above the Aegean Sea and ethnically split Cyprus.
On Wednesday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who were both recently re-elected, met on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius.
“It is to the benefit of both countries that the positive climate formed in bilateral relations over recent months has continuity and consistency,” the two leaders’ offices said in identical but separate statements.
“The two sides agreed to build on the positive momentum and activate multiple channels of communication between the two countries in the coming period,” added the statement, noting that the two leaders look forward to “more frequent contact at all levels”.
Cabinet ministers from the two sides are due to meet after the summer in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Mitsotakis said.
Source from www.aljazeera.com