Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his Greek counterpart, Giorgos Gerapetritis, on the sidelines of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday.

According to official statements released by both the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Greek Foreign Ministry shortly after the talks concluded, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to de-escalating longstanding tensions in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.

Diplomatic sources close to the discussions revealed that Monday’s bilateral meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis in Luxembourg lasted approximately 45 minutes and covered several priority issues central to regional stability and cooperation.

Both ministers exchanged views on resuming exploratory talks toward a potential maritime zones agreement, building on the constructive atmosphere established during the August 2025 Athens summit.

The two sides agreed to accelerate the work of joint technical committees focusing on hydrocarbon exploration. Greece proposed launching a pilot project for shared seismic data analysis by early 2026 — a move aimed at fostering transparency and confidence in energy cooperation across the Aegean.

With irregular migration crossings in the Aegean reported to have increased by 25 percent so far this year, the ministers underscored the urgency of enhanced operational coordination under the EU–Türkiye Statement framework.

Türkiye highlighted its continued efforts to host over 3.6 million Syrian refugees, while Greece committed €150 million in additional EU-funded support for modern border-management technologies.

The talks also emphasized the strategic importance of the Türkiye–Greece Interconnector (TGI) natural gas pipeline, which is expected to become fully operational by mid-2026 after recent engineering advances.

Once online, the TGI pipeline will deliver 6 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas annually to European markets — potentially reducing EU dependence on Russian energy supplies by 15 percent.

Fidan reaffirmed Ankara’s continued support for EU enlargement in the Western Balkans, highlighting Türkiye’s commitment to regional integration and stability.

Gerapetritis, in turn, emphasized the need to reinvigorate negotiations toward a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus question.

Both ministers welcomed the UN’s upcoming informal conference on Cyprus, scheduled for November 2025 in Geneva, describing it as a “window of opportunity” for progress.

In a post-meeting press briefing, Foreign Minister Fidan described the talks as "frank and forward-looking," announcing that a follow-up high-level working group will convene in Ankara on November 15, 2025, to draft a joint action plan on climate resilience and disaster response—particularly timely after the devastating 2024 wildfires that affected both nations.

Gerapetritis echoed this optimism on X (formerly Twitter), stating: "Productive exchange with FM @HakanFidan in Luxembourg. Greece and Türkiye are turning the page towards mutual prosperity and regional stability. #EUFAC #GreceTürkiye."

The EU Foreign Affairs Council's joint communiqué praised the Türkiye-Greece dialogue as a "model for cross-regional partnerships," with High Representative Josep Borrell noting that it aligns with the EU's €10 billion Global Gateway initiative for sustainable infrastructure.

Both ministers agreed to maintain constant dialogue and to explore practical mechanisms to advance connectivity and security cooperation. Greece indicated that it would soon present the “5×5” framework ahead of a forthcoming MED 9 summit, while Türkiye underscored its interest in discussing its participation in EU programmes under clearer terms.

The bilateral meeting, although brief, signals a readiness on both sides to engage at a high level, while acknowledging that any meaningful progress will require bridging deep-rooted differences. As the EU ministers met in Luxembourg to address cross-regional threats and infrastructure resilience, the Fidan-Gerapetritis encounter underscored the importance of managing bilateral friction within a broader multilateral security architecture. (ILKHA)