No Netanyahu, but Mitsotakis coming

Wednesday’s scheduled Cyprus-Greece-Israel trilateral meeting in Nicosia has been postponed for later in the year after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed surgery.

Nonetheless, Greek Prime Minister Kyriacos Mitsotakis is sticking to his plans to visit Cyprus and will meet President Christodoulides.

Netanyahu was admitted to the Sheba Medical Center on Saturday to be fitted with a pacemaker, a week after being rushed to the same hospital after feeling unwell.

The hospital announced that Netanyahu was in good health.

Following an official announcement, insiders said the recently re-elected Greek leader and Christodoulides would be holding a bilateral meeting instead.

The two leaders will have the opportunity for an in-depth briefing, exchange of views and coordination on the next steps on the Cyprus problem and EU-Turkey relations.

It is still uncertain whether Mitsotakis will arrive in Cyprus on Tuesday and have an official dinner as was the schedule of the trilateral meeting or will change his plans and come for a one-day visit on Wednesday.

Christodoulides and the Greek Prime Minister will talk for the first time in person since the July 11 NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, where Mitsotakis met Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan.

The UN General Assembly in September is the next milestone for the Cyprus issue as all parties involved will meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to scope intentions.

The trilateral meeting with Israel’s leader will likely be rescheduled for Autumn, while another trilateral meeting with Egypt is on the agenda.