ATHENS, May 22. /TASS/. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias plans to focus on bilateral, multilateral cooperation and regional issues at talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Sochi on Monday, the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

"Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias will travel to Sochi, the Russian Federation, on Monday morning, May 24, where he will meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. Talks are expected to focus on issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, as well as on regional developments. Statements to the press have been scheduled at the end of their meeting (at about 13.20)," the statement says.

After his bilateral meetings, Dendias will be shown around the Sirius education center in Sochi, the press service said.

As the second part of his visit, the Greek foreign minister will go to Anapa and Gelendzhik, the towns on the northern Black Sea coast "with a long-standing Greek presence."

"There, he is scheduled to participate in events on the same day and the next day, Tuesday 25 May and have a series of meetings with prominent members of the diaspora, representatives of the Greek communities, local officials and businessmen," the Greek foreign ministry noted.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at her weekly briefing on Friday that Lavrov would hold talks with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias, who would come to Russia on a working visit, in Sochi on May 24. The diplomat pointed out that the two foreign ministers would be discussing how to step up political dialogue, to strengthen bilateral political cooperation amid coronavirus restrictions and to forge cultural and humanitarian ties in terms of joint celebrations of the Year of Russia-Greece History in 2021. According to Zakharova, the ministers will share views on a wide range of international and regional issues of mutual interest, including Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans.