Kerry–Venizelos Meeting Postponed to Friday

The meeting of Greek Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Evangelos Venizelos, with his U.S. counterpart, John Kerry, has been postponed for Friday January 17.

According to the State Department program, Kerry cancelled all meetings he had scheduled for today due to his delay in returning to the U.S. from Kuwait, where he participated in the Syria donors conference.

Mr. Venizelos arrived today in the U.S. capital from Paris. During tomorrow’s meeting with John Kerry, he will discuss issues of bilateral and international interest and issues of the Greek EU Presidency.

The most important points that are up for discussion are national issues such the Cyprus dispute and FYROM’s name issue, while the U.S. Secretary is expected to raise the issue of terrorism, in response to the case of Christodoulos Xeros.

Concerning the Cyprus dispute, the American foreign minister will express Washington‘s position once more, that there is “chance for solution” while it is expected that the Obama administration is likely to play a “more substantial” role in the efforts to resolve the Cyprus dispute.

John Kerry has already been informed by Venizelos on FYROM’s name issue and Greece’s position on the matter, during their previous meeting at the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels.

They will also discuss developments in the wider Eastern Mediterranean as well as the Middle East, with emphasis on the issue of the Syria and Palestinian conflict, the situation in Egypt and the chemical weapons destruction in Syria.

Before tomorrow’s visit in the State Department and his meeting with John Kerry, the Greek Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will meet with the U.S. Finance Minister Jack Lew, to inform him of the progress in the Greek economy, as well as the priorities of the Greek EU Presidency concerning the economic governance of the European Union.