World

State Dept: Blinken Visiting Germany, Turkiye for Talks on Security, Earthquake Recovery

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Germany, Turkiye and Greece from February 16-22 for talks on the Ukraine conflict at the Munich Security Conference, earthquake recovery efforts after the catastrophic earthquakes in Turkiye and cooperation with Greece, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.
Sputnik
Blinken will first visit Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference, where he will hold bilateral and multilateral meetings on continued support for Ukraine, Price said in a statement on Wednesday.
The secretary of state will also hold a joint meeting with UK, French and German colleagues while in Munich, as well as participate in a Group of Seven (G7) meeting focused on Ukraine, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried said during a press briefing.
Blinken is not expected to announce any major aid packages for Ukraine while in Munich, Donfried added.
On February 19, Blinken will visit the Incirlik Air Base in Turkiye to witness US efforts to assist in the recovery efforts from the deadly earthquakes that hit Turkiye and Syria earlier this month, Price said in the statement.
Blinken will then travel to Ankara for a meeting and joint press availability with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Donfried said. Earthquakes will be at the forefront of Blinken’s discussions in Turkey, although the top US diplomat will also discuss ways to strengthen Turkiye’s role as a NATO ally, Donfried said.
World
Turkish Foreign Minister Calls on US to Maintain Balance in Relations With Turkey, Greece
Moreover, Blinken will thank the Turkish government for its support of cross-border aid efforts for neighboring Syria, Price said.
Blinken will then visit Greece for talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other top government officials on defense cooperation, energy security and democracy, Price said. On February 21, Blinken will launch the fourth round of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, Price added.
Blinken’s trip to Europe overlaps with a trip to the continent by US President Joe Biden, who will visit Poland from February 20-22 to deliver remarks ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
Biden is also expected to publicly address the recent downing of balloons in US airspace and meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while in Poland, US and Polish media reported on Wednesday.
Discuss