Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke about the need for Europe to take part in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, developments in the Middle East, economic resilience and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence as he arrived at the European Political Community summit in Dublin, Ireland.
Referring to the war in Ukraine, the prime minister said: “I still remember the first summit, which took place in Prague after the war in Ukraine began. Four and a half years later, we are still facing an open conflict at the heart of the European continent.”
On progress in discussions to end the war, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed: “I want to be clear, and I think this reflects the view of all members of the European Council. There can be no discussion of a lasting peace in Ukraine, and certainly no discussion of Europe’s future security architecture, without Europe at the negotiating table.”
He also said that discussions on the issues would continue, stressing the need for European institutions to be present. “We will discuss these issues further tomorrow. My view is that the European institutions must be present, and other countries can join them.”
He placed particular emphasis on the need for a ceasefire, while expressing concern about developments in the Black Sea. “As a first step, we must focus on a ceasefire. I am particularly concerned about what is happening in the Black Sea, as I have already told the Security Council that a global ceasefire is needed in relation to attacks on commercial vessels.”
He added that “this is an area of absolute priority for any discussions that take place over the coming days, weeks and months.”
Middle East and economic uncertainty
The prime minister also referred to developments in the Middle East, highlighting the conflict’s economic impact. “We are in Ireland, in Dublin, quite a long way from my own country, Greece, but we must not forget that there is another conflict, which has caused economic uncertainty and is taking place in the Middle East.”
Linking international developments to Europe’s economic resilience, he said: “I believe European countries share a concern about how we can make our energy cheaper, how we can develop our own capabilities and how we can address dependencies that undermine not only our competitiveness but also our future security.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis placed particular emphasis on the need to strengthen European autonomy in strategic sectors. “Whether we are talking about energy imports and Europe’s need to produce its own clean energy, or about critical raw materials, artificial intelligence capabilities or space, these are capabilities that Europe must develop within the European continent.”
Mitsotakis: “Artificial intelligence brings major opportunities as well as threats”
Concluding his remarks, the prime minister referred to the discussion on artificial intelligence to be held at the European Council.
“I am sure that the discussion we will have tomorrow on artificial intelligence will be very important, because I believe it is essential for the European Council to devote sufficient time to this issue”.
“The opportunities offered by artificial intelligence are very significant, as are the challenges and threats posed by the unchecked advance of this technology.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis concluded by stressing that “it is essential for the European Council to discuss these issues in great detail.”
Source: ertnews.gr