German defense minister due in Athens and Cyprus

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen is due Tuesday in Athens, where she will meet with her recently appointed Greek counterpart, Evangelos Apostolakis.

She will also meet with opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis and address an event at the Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy.

The German official is also due to visit Cyprus on the same day, where talks with Cypriot Defense Minister Savvas Angelides are expected to focus on strengthening the island's role in the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), part of the European Union's security and defense framework.