Kyriakos Mitsotakis: In London today and tomorrow for… Business, Starmer, and the Parthenon sculptures

Following a successful weekend for the government, highlighted by the inauguration of the Thessaloniki Metro, and just days before his first meeting with the opposition leader Nikos Androulakis on Wednesday in Parliament, Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrived in London yesterday. Today and tomorrow, he has a packed schedule of economically focused meetings and will also visit Downing Street.

Starting today, Mr. Mitsotakis will kick off the investment conference hosted by the Athens Stock Exchange and Morgan Stanley in London. This event comes at a favorable moment for the Greek economy, as the yield on the Greek 10-year bond approaches that of the French equivalent, and Greece leads Europe in debt reduction.

It is worth noting that in December, Greece will complete the early repayment of €7.9 billion in loans from the first bailout. Additionally, as the Prime Minister announced, another €5 billion will be paid off by 2025 for loans originally set to mature between 2033 and 2042.

Beyond closed-door meetings, Mr. Mitsotakis will also engage in discussions with Massimiliano Ruggieri, the head of Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley. He is expected to highlight Greece as a model of political stability, contrasting with larger Eurozone nations like Germany and France, which are currently facing political turbulence.

Moreover, Mr. Mitsotakis will attend a lunch with Indian financial stakeholders from the City, aiming to deepen ties with this vast Asian market, following his recent visits to New Delhi and Mumbai. Lastly, he will participate in a specialized closed workshop on artificial intelligence organized by the Blair Institute, just days after unveiling Greece’s national plan for transitioning to new technological conditions.

The Meeting with Starmer

The highlight of the visit is, of course, Mr. Mitsotakis’ meeting with the new British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, scheduled for Tuesday morning. The two have previously met informally at other international forums.

Nearly a year after the diplomatic faux pas by former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who abruptly canceled a meeting with Mr. Mitsotakis to avoid discussing the Parthenon Sculptures, the Greek Prime Minister will engage in comprehensive talks with Mr. Starmer. The geopolitical context is critical, given the escalating conflict in Ukraine.

According to government sources, this meeting is an opportunity to reset and upgrade bilateral relations across all sectors. Emphasis will be placed on cooperation in shipping, research and innovation, and tourism. Migration will also be on the agenda, as the UK looks to Greece for a model on border management.

However, Mr. Mitsotakis is keen to ensure that the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures does not dominate Greek-British relations. He has emphasized that discussions primarily involve the British Museum, though expectations for immediate progress are modest at this stage. “Greek-British relations are not solely defined by the return of the Sculptures,” he pointedly remarked on ANT1 on Saturday, adding that it is impossible to predict “when or at what pace this return might happen.”

Πηγή: pagenews.gr