Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, during his official visit to China, will have the following meetings today, Friday, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing:

1. at 11:00 (local time), with the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang

2. at 15:30, with the President of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, Zhao Leji and

3. at 16:20, with the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping.

The visit will be an opportunity to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as issues of regional and international interest (such as developments in the Middle East and Ukraine). It should be noted that China is a member of the UN Security Council and can play an important role in maintaining international peace and stability.

In the economic field, Greece is interested, among other things, in increasing exports (especially in the fields of agricultural and standardized products) and in further strengthening relations in tourism (as it is a large market). In fact, the visit is particularly important as it comes at a time when there is positive news for the Greek economy, such as the upgrade to investment grade by S&P.

The prime minister is expected to reiterate Greece’s position that open channels of communication with China and cooperation to address global challenges – such as climate change – are necessary so that relations can be constructive and mutually beneficial.