New York, locked down under tight security as it hosts world leaders for the UN General Assembly, offers a unique neutral ground for both official and discreet contacts. Alongside the prime minister’s much-anticipated meeting with the Turkish president, four senior Greek ministers have been tasked with specific agendas aimed at advancing Athens’s strategic goals.
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis: Trilaterals and the Middle East
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis will hold a dense program of talks, including a new trilateral format with Cyprus and Syria. He is also scheduled to attend trilateral meetings with Cyprus and Egypt, Cyprus and Jordan, as well as a four-party session with Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia.
He will address the UN Security Council on the Middle East and the Palestinian question, and participate in an international conference on the two-state solution, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia. Gerapetritis will also chair the ministerial meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum, where Greece currently holds the presidency, and meet counterparts from Egypt, the UAE, South Sudan and others.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou: Strengthening the US Dialogue
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou arrived in Washington ahead of New York to meet members of Congress and US officials, preparing the ground for the upcoming US-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens. In New York, she will take part in a high-level event on maritime security, a priority during Greece’s tenure on the UN Security Council.
Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou: Promoting Greece as a Regional Hub
On September 23, the same day as the Mitsotakis-Erdoğan meeting, Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou will speak at an Atlantic Council conference on energy, where the US government will be represented at the highest level by the Minister of Energy, Chris Wright. Beyond the public agenda, talks will focus on the upcoming energy conference in Athens in November, organized with the US-led Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC).
The initiative seeks to advance projects such as the “vertical corridor” for natural gas, linking the Balkans to northern Europe. This plan aligns with Washington’s broader strategy of increasing LNG exports to Europe and reducing dependence on Russian supplies, with Greece positioned as a key regional player.
Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis: Investment Push
Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis will travel to New York and Washington in October, building on the prime minister’s meetings with investors. He is expected to highlight Greece’s economic recovery, investment prospects, tax incentives and opportunities in sectors such as energy, defense and pharmaceuticals.
Pierrakakis will also meet representatives of funds, development banks and technology leaders. His program follows earlier contacts with US Treasury officials and White House advisors, aimed at strengthening economic ties and attracting foreign capital.
Already in April, he had a conversation with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Deputy Treasury Secretary Mike Faulkender , in the context of the IMF Spring Meeting, on attracting investment and tariffs. He also met with Michael Kratsios , director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, with whom he had known since 2020 due to similar portfolios. In these meetings, the Finance Minister will be accompanied by the economic advisor to the Prime Minister Michalis Argyrou and members of the economic staff.
