Alain Berset to emphasise Greece’s important geopolitical role in Athens

The Secretary General of the 46-member Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is set to make his first official visit to Greece on 9 and 10 February.

During his state visit to Greece, the Secretary General will meet in Athens the President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Foreign Affairs Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, and members of the Greek delegation to the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.

European security environment on the agenda

Discussions will focus on Greece's role as a key democratic actor at the crossroads of Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East and North Africa region, and on its contribution to upholding European standards, international law and multilateral amid an increasingly complex security environment. Particular attention will be given to democratic resilience, judicial independence and accountability, the fight against corruption, and migration management in full compliance with European human-rights obligations.

During his visit, on Monday evening 9 February at the University of Athens, the Secretary General will receive the Lord Byron international prize from the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism. The prize is awarded annually to distinguished international figures whose careers reflect the core values of Hellenism as embodied by Lord Byron, the Philhellene poet who died in Missolonghi during the Greek War of Independence.

Greece and the Council of Europe

Secretary General Alain Berset

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe