ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2021) Greece has received no invitation from Turkey to engage in exploratory talks, but is ready to discuss issues related to exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and shelf issues, the foreign ministry said on Monday.
Earlier in the day, top Turkish diplomat Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara offered Athens to resume talks, noting that a meeting could be held later in January.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece has not received any invitation from the Turkish Foreign Ministry to determine the date of the 61st round of exploratory talks. Greece, as you know, has expressed its readiness to respond in case of a relevant invitation from the Turkish side on the issue of delineation of the EEZ and the continental shelf on the basis of international law," spokesman Alexandros Papaioannou said.
The sides suspended exploratory talks in 2016. Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean further escalated in 2020 after Turkey sent its seismic research vessel Oruc Reis to drill in what Greece considers to be part of its EEZ.
Both sides say they are open for dialogue. Athens, at the same time, states readiness to discuss only one unresolved issue, namely maritime delimitation, while Ankara demands discussions on all controversial issues, including the militarization of the islands, the situation with national minorities in Greece and other topics.
