ATHENS — Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will visit New York on Monday, September 20, for the High Level General Debate of the 76th UN General Assembly, foreign ministry spokesperson Alexandros Papaioannou announced on Wednesday.

He said the minister's programme of bilateral meetings had not been finalised but would indicatively include meetings with his counterparts from Gambia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Algeria, Kyrgyzstan, Panama, Armenia, Egypt and Ghana, as well as the industry minister of the United Arab Emirates.

Papaioannou said there had been no request and no plans for a meeting with Dendias' Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in New York but a trilateral meeting between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt was a possibility.

Dendias is also due to take part in a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday.

Next Tuesday, September 21, the minister will give an online address at an event to present the national strategic plan for openness, taking place at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, which will also be addressed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Next Wednesday, Dendias will participate remotely in the 10 ministerial of the Community of Democracies, organised by Romania.

Dendias to probably visit US on October 14 

Nikos Dendias is also expected to travel to the United States, probably on October 14, to sign the renewed Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, foreign ministry spokesperson Alexandros Papaioannou said on Wednesday during a briefing.

He will also participate in the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, which will take place for the first time with a physical presence after October 2019, when it was held in Athens. He is also expected to meet with his US counterpart, Anthony Blinken.

Regarding the agreement, Papaioannou pointed out that "a request has been submitted by the American side that it have a five-year duration, something that we certainly view positively, in the context of excellent bilateral relations, but also with the prospect of stability."

He noted that negotiations continue between the foreign and defence ministries of both countries.

Papaioannou also pointed out that Dendias' contacts, both in Athens and abroad, are part of a strategy, whose "common goal and vision is always to ensure security, prosperity in the wider region, both in the Western Balkans and in the wider Mediterranean and Middle East region."

"It is about strengthening strategic and partnership relations with our traditional allies and partners, both within the EU and, of course, with the United States," he stated.