The Prime Minister spoke to Greek journalists a short while ago from Brussels about all the issues discussed at the “27” summit. Among other things, he described the negotiations on the EU budget as tough, commented on the discussion that has begun regarding negotiations with Russia, and spoke about fuel price cuts and the need for free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
“These will be extremely difficult negotiations. There are very significant differences between those who emphasize that we need a more ambitious budget—since we have ambitious goals—and those who view the budget within the context of their own significant national contributions, to a certain extent. framework of their own significant national contributions. “The goal is to conclude the negotiations by the end of this year,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, emphasizing that for Greece “safeguarding CAP funds within a national framework is a non-negotiable priority,” while also expressing his satisfaction that more resources are being allocated for migration.
As reported by ERT, when asked who from Europe should engage in talks with the Kremlin, given that Europe wants to reopen channels of communication, Mr. Mitsotakis emphasized that only Ukraine can have the primary say in negotiations with Russia.
“Europe is not claiming the role of mediator because it has taken a stand in support of Ukraine. Should it be deemed necessary to establish a channel of communication […] I can see no other solution—and I made this clear yesterday at the European Council—that in this case, the diplomatic channel must be opened by the President of the European Council, Mr. António Costa, who can speak on behalf of all of us.”
When asked whether there had been a discussion within the Council regarding a common European plan related to the restoration of free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and what role our country might play in such a scenarioMr. Mitsotakis replied that “ensuring freedom of navigation is the primary objective and the key benefit of this initial agreement reached between Iran and the U.S.”
“I hope and pray that there will be no disruptions that could jeopardize this aspect of the agreement. We have already seen a significant decline in oil prices due to this development, and this is obviously a priority for all members of the European Council.
Beyond that, Greece, as I have said, would be willing to participate in some kind of mission, which must, however, have international legitimacy at the level of the United Nations Security Council, should this be required,” the Prime Minister emphasized, clarifying, however, that such a scenario “is not currently on the table” and that the goal would be to return to the previous status quo.
Regarding migration, in response to a question about how Greece would benefit from the creation of Hub Centers in third countries, Mr. Mitsotakis spoke of “yet another weapon in our arsenal,” noting that it is important that the rule on returns has been agreed upon.
“From the moment we began carrying out returns to Egypt, the number of Egyptians arriving in Crete decreased significantly, and of course the creation of application processing centers outside the EU had been discussed […] We are at the beginning of these discussions.
For us, the top priority is to curb the flows from eastern Libya. We have already seen a very significant reduction at our land borders and our eastern borders. We have had substantive contacts with Libya’s political and military leadership. “As you know, we are providing training to their Coast Guard personnel,” the Prime Minister recalled, adding that “we have established a good channel of communication so that the flows can be significantly curtailed.”
When asked to comment—in light of the launch of the PosoKanei app as well as the U.S.-Iran agreement— as to when the public can expect the drop in international oil prices to be immediately reflected at the pump, and whether the Council had discussed at the European level any intervention mechanism in the event of a new energy crisis, Mr. Mitsotakis emphasized:
“We certainly hope the latter does not happen. As for the former, we have already seen a significant drop in gasoline and diesel prices, exceeding 15 lepta. It will take about a week for the reduction to reach the pump […]
All mechanisms are in place to ensure the reduction reaches the pump and benefits consumers, whether we’re talking about gasoline or diesel fuel—which, I’d like to remind you, also has an additional 15-lept subsidy this month. “Beyond that, as global inflationary pressures ease, I believe we will see inflation ease as well,” the Prime Minister said.
Finally, when asked whether the possibility of cooperation with Ukraine on the co-production of weapon systems for unmanned underwater vehicles was discussed during his meeting yesterday with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr. Mitsotakis stated that “We are in advanced discussions with Ukraine regarding the possibility of an agreement that would allow our country to leverage expertise in unmanned vehicles, whether they are airborne, land-based, maritime, or underwater.”
“I can’t tell you anything more, but I am optimistic that these discussions could come to fruition very quickly,” the Prime Minister said.