Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in response to a question on what was discussed during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte after the conclusion of the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen, stressed that "as long as Türkiye continues to have the casus belli issue on the table, as long as Türkiye challenges the sovereignty of Greek islands through the grey zone theory, Greece will not agree to Türkiye joining the SAFE programme."
Asked whether the member states of Southern Europe are covered by projects such as the European drone wall, the Greek premier stressed that the concept of 360-degree security covering the eastern and southern borders of Europe is reflected in European Council decisions. There is a consensus, he said, that Europe's security cannot be limited to the eastern border. Any defence plan will include all of Europe's borders, including Greece. He clarified, however, that Greece ensures the defence and protection of its borders regardless of European plans.
Furthermore, Mitsotakis noted that, as the European Union, we are closer to promoting the idea of a financial instrument for joint defence projects. He added that even countries belonging to the group of so-called "thrifty" countries, such as Denmark and Finland, are much more open to a new financial instrument that can be used for projects of common European interest, such as air defence or defence against drones.
Asked by ANA-MPA about the proposal by European Council President António Costa to revise the enlargement process—specifically, the transition from unanimity, currently required, to qualified majority voting—the Greek premier stated that "Greece will not consent to the absence of unanimity at key stages of the accession process.
"Now, for certain stages, such as the opening of a chapter, a qualified majority might be considered, and we could be open to discussing that. However, unanimity would remain required for the closure of chapters, as well as for the final decision on a country’s EU membership. Greece, like any other member state, cannot and will not accept losing the ability to block the process at any point if it believes doing so could harm either European or national interests."
Asked about high prices and the performance of the economy, Mitsotakis described as encouraging the fact that inflation in Greece is significantly lower than the European average and added, "I appreciate that we have seen the hardest inflation, and this is certainly a positive development."
The Prime Minister also said that "the issue of the cost of living is a priority for the government." Referring to energy prices, he said he was pleased that they remained stable for the second month. "I believe that in the electricity market, the interventions we have made are beginning to pay off for the benefit of the Greek consumer," he said.
In response to enquiries regarding the migration issue, he remarked, "Europe has shifted its stance on migration. Here in Greece, we are implementing stricter border security measures and placing a strong emphasis on returns. Our objective is to dismantle the vile networks of traffickers."