ATHENS, Greece — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flew to Greece on Monday for talks with the rustic’s management and to attend a casual meeting of Balkan leaders with top European Union officials.
Zelenskyy met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and used to be scheduled to meet with the figurehead president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
In the night time, Zelenskyy used to be to sign up for a casual dinner arranged via Mitsotakis for top officials from 9 Balkan international locations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel, Mitsotakis’ place of business stated.
The dinner used to be scheduled to speak about the Western Balkans area’s long term within the EU, which many nations have already joined and the remainder are jockeying to input.
Greece has joined its NATO and EU companions in strongly backing Ukraine towards the Russian invasion and has equipped army help within the shape of armored workforce carriers and ammunition.
But Athens has resisted force to supply Kyiv with a Russian-made air protection missile machine stationed at the southern island of Crete. Greece is engaged in a considerable guns procurement program of its personal amid testy family members with neighboring Turkey — its NATO best friend and historical regional rival.
Earlier Monday, Zelenskyy used to be in Denmark, the place he thanked lawmakers for serving to his nation face up to Russia’s invasion. On Sunday, Denmark and the Netherlands introduced they would supply Kyiv with F-16 warplanes which may be delivered across the finish of the 12 months.
The Athens dinner used to be being hosted at the twentieth anniversary of an EU-Western Balkan summit within the northern Greek town of Thessaloniki as Balkan states sought to sign up for the bloc.
The presidents of Serbia, Montenegro and Moldova, the high ministers of North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, and the top of the council of ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina had been to attend Monday’s dinner. Mitsotakis used to be additionally meeting a number of of them for my part on Monday and Tuesday.
A notable absence used to be Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Relations between Greece and its northwestern neighbor have soured over the jailing of ethnic Greek minority chief Fredi Beleri, who used to be arrested sooner than native elections in May on vote-buying allegations.
Beleri used to be elected mayor of the southwestern Albanian the town of Himara regardless of being in pre-trial detention. Athens insists his detention is politically motivated and has referred to as for his unlock.
“I believe we all understand that it was not possible to invite Mr. Rama to such an important initiative,” Greek executive spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis stated.
“When we say that Albania’s European path passes through the basic respect of European rules and the rules of justice, we mean it,” he added, noting that Albania’s president had declined a call for participation to attend.
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