Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his satisfaction with the agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East, as he arrived for the European Council summit in Brussels, stressing that Greece supports every initiative that contributes to peace and stability in the region. “We have achieved a first significant de-escalation, and it is the duty of the Greek state to ensure that the drop in crude oil prices is immediately reflected in lower diesel and petrol prices at the pump, benefiting all Greek consumers,” he stated.
Mitsotakis: Restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is the top priority
“Greece welcomes the agreement and every initiative that will help ease tensions. Right now, the overriding priority is restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and we are watching oil and natural gas prices very carefully,” the Prime Minister declared. Mitsotakis placed particular emphasis on the impact of international developments on citizens’ daily lives, noting that the de-escalation in crude oil prices must be immediately reflected in fuel prices at the pump.
Turning to discussions on the next European budget, the Prime Minister made clear that Greece will push firmly to preserve the EU’s core support policies. “Greece, like many other countries, will fight to maintain the core of the two fundamental instruments — namely Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy,” he stressed. He also underlined that the EU’s new Competitiveness Fund must be structured in a way that does not widen the gap between member states.
What he said about the Competitiveness Fund and migration
“I will make the case for why the new Competitiveness Fund, which aims to support European businesses against global competition, must be allocated fairly, so that it does not contribute to further economic divergence between stronger and weaker economies,” he noted.
The Prime Minister also addressed the issue of migration, expressing satisfaction with the increased allocation of relevant funds in the European budget, while reiterating the need for common European financial instruments for defence. “Greece welcomes the fact that the budget for migration is more robust. However, it will not stop working to convince its partners that common financial instruments for defence are necessary. Defence is a common European good and must be treated as such. This goal will be far better served if we can add a European financial instrument to our arsenal,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated.
