ATHENS – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in contacts with Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheal Martin and European Council President Charles Michel ahead of the Greek premier’s departure for the United Kingdom on Monday, discussed the latest developments in talks between the European Commission and the UK on the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, following a meeting the two sides last Friday.

The discussion was held to brief and coordinate with Mitsotakis before his meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London on Tuesday.

Mitsotakis said that Greece fully aligns with the EU position on the issues concerning the talks and stands in complete solidarity with Ireland and its partners, government sources said. According to the same sources, the message that Mitsotakis will likely convey as the first EU leader to visit the UK at a crucial time for Euro-British relations, which must be ensured on the basis of the relevant agreements, is precisely that the unity of the EU is not in question, while emphasising the need to overcome the difficulties and find a solution through consensus.

Mitsotakis departs for London in the afternoon for a two-day visit to the UK. His meeting with Johnson is scheduled at 15:15 [local time] on Tuesday, while at 18:00 he will visit the Science Museum in London and tour the exhibition “Ancient Greeks: Science and Wisdom”.

At 7:35 on Tuesday (local time), the Greek premier will be interviewed by the ITV breakfast television show “Good Morning Britain”, while on Wednesday he will have a series of meetings with representatives of the British business community and investors.