Athens, Mar 14 (AP) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has tested positive for COVID-19, a day after a trip to Istanbul, the leader confirmed on Monday.

The Prime Minister said he would be self-isolating and therefore be working from home.

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Mitsotakis on Sunday held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is considered the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians.

Wearing a mask, Mitsotakis in an Instagram video said the result of his daily coronavirus test was positive on Monday.

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The Prime Minister, in a rare meeting between the leaders of the two neighbouring countries, held talks over lunch with Erdogan.

Relations between Greece and Turkey are strained over a series of issues, including territorial and energy exploration rights in the Mediterranean, which led to a naval standoff in mid-2020.

The two discussed bilateral and international relations, as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Turkish presidency's communications directorate said.

Earlier, Mitsotakis had met with the 82-year-old Bartholomew, who is based in Turkey's largest city, and attend a church service there.

Both Erdogan and Bartholomew are fully vaccinated and have previously tested positive for the virus.

Greece has seen a total of more than 2.6 million confirmed positive coronavirus cases and more than 26,500 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

More than 7.5 million of the country's roughly 11 million population are fully vaccinated. (AP) PY

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)