Greek Prime Minister Cancels Meeting With China's Vice Primer Over Blinken - Reports

ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2023) Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister of Greece, has canceled his meeting with Chinese Vice Primer Sun Chunlan over the visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the country, Greek media reported on Tuesday.

Sun's meeting with Mitsotakis was on the agenda of China's official but was canceled. On Monday, Mitsotakis met with Blinken, who arrived in Greece on a two-day visit. Sun attended the opening ceremony of the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations on Monday, read out Chinese President Xi Jinping's letter to five Greek scholars, and delivered a speech, according to the Xinhua news agency.

According to Greek newspaper Kathimerini, the important role that China assigns to Greece in its European strategy was confirmed by Sun's visit. The media cited Greek officials as saying that cooperation with Beijing is a strategic goal for Athens. Sun will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos and Parliament speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas but not with Mitsotakis as Athens does not wish to be at the center of a dispute between Beijing and Washington over spy balloons, the report said.

The Newsbreak.gr news portal reported, citing sources, that Mitsotakis canceled his meeting with Sun at the behest of the United States. Mitsotakis chose "the reverse course of action" and decided not to meet with Sun, having chosen relations with Washington over Beijing.

According to sources, Washington "tactfully but in a stern tone" conveyed to the Greek side its opinion about Sun's visit, given that the Greek government has been seeking to plan Blinken's visit for months in order to present a prestigious image of Mitsotakis during the pre-election period, the report said, adding that Mitsotakis' office succeeded in causing displeasure of both the Chinese and US sides.