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Two highly sensitive foreign policy issues are set to dominate the political agenda this week.<\/p>\n
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is on a two-day visit to London, where he is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street on Tuesday. The Parthenon Sculptures are likely to be a key topic of discussion.<\/p>\n
On Monday and Tuesday, the 7th round of the Greek-Turkish dialogue will take place in Athens, and the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers may hold another bilateral meeting later in the week. However, since their last meeting in Athens in November, it has become clear that a breakthrough in the Athens-Ankara dialogue is not imminent.<\/p>\n
In Parliament this week, the bill on collective agreements and the method of calculating the minimum wage will be discussed.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the Greek prime minister will open the 3rd Annual Greek Investment Conference, organized by Morgan Stanley in cooperation with the Athens Stock Exchange. His message to investors is expected to emphasize Greece\u2019s fiscal and political stability, particularly in light of political and fiscal risks currently facing strong European countries.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Mitsotakis will meet with his British counterpart to discuss developments in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as the migration issue. On the bilateral front, the focus will be on cooperation in shipping and, of course, the ongoing discussion with the British Museum regarding the Parthenon Sculptures.<\/p>\n
Sky News reported on Monday that, according to a senior British government source, Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis held up to three private meetings with the trustees of the British Museum and its chairman, George Osborne, regarding the possible repatriation of the 2,500-year-old sculptures.<\/p>\n
Greek deputy foreign ministers Alexandra Papadopoulou and Kostas Fragogiannis will engage in political dialogue and discussions on the positive agenda with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozai in Athens.<\/p>\n
Gerapetritis and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan may also hold a follow-up meeting later this week, either on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers\u2019 meeting in Brussels on Tuesday or at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Malta on Wednesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n
This week, Parliament will discuss the bill on collective agreements and the method of calculating the minimum wage.<\/p>\n
The bill was recently reviewed by the relevant parliamentary committee, and it was subject to public consultation, with social partners and opposition parties submitting comments. However, the bill will be presented to the plenary without changes.<\/p>\n
It aims to incorporate the European directive requiring that 80% of workers be covered by collective agreements. If this target is not met, a specific plan must be implemented to achieve it. In Greece, less than 30% of workers are covered by such agreements, and negotiations still largely operate under the bailout regime. However, the legislation defers the matter to future ministerial decisions. It also stipulates that, by 2028, the minimum wage will be determined by an algorithm based on inflation and general productivity.<\/p>\n
Mitsotakis will meet with PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis in their first meeting since Androulakis was re-elected as leader of the socialist party and assumed the role of leader of the main opposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Relations between the two have been particularly strained since it was revealed that the PASOK leader had been placed under state surveillance.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n