The Maximos Mansion is making significant gains after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ trip to New York, as part of his participation in the 80th High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly. The central message of the Prime Minister’s presence across the Atlantic is summarized in the phrase he used several times in his interventions, addressing international partners and powerful economic actors: “Greece has changed.”
Defense equipment and EEZ: Mitsotakis’ three moves to “grow” Greece
Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ return from the US coincides with a new period in Greek-Turkish relations, following the cancellation of the meeting between the Greek Prime Minister and the Turkish President and the tête-à-tête between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump in Washington. In any case, the government will not allow this particular incident to overshadow its dynamic foreign policy nor give the opposition the opportunity to diminish the country’s role regionally and internationally, with the Prime Minister himself “taking up the gauntlet” and scheduling a parliamentary debate on foreign policy issues (in the first half of October), transforming PASOK’s request for a Gaza discussion in the Plenary into a political leaders’ debate on foreign policy under Article 142A, in order to brief Parliament after his New York trip.
On the foreign policy front, Kyriakos Mitsotakis will highlight that his government has substantially enlarged Greece more than any other in recent years, without fanfare. The defense programs, with the recent development being KYSEA’s decision for the fourth Belharra frigate, the extension to 12 nautical miles in the Ionian Sea, the EEZ with Egypt, the EEZ with Italy, and the Maritime Spatial Planning that secures the country’s furthest potential limits with the European seal, will feature prominently in the Prime Minister’s speech.
Also, the initiation of the procedure for delimiting the Exclusive Economic Zone between Greece and Libya, as well as Chevron’s participation in the international tender for hydrocarbons south of Crete as a pivotal development for Greece and our relations with the US, while simultaneously providing tangible recognition of our country’s energy and geopolitical position.
Mitsotakis’ critical meetings: Energy deals with ExxonMobil, Chevron and F-35s
Invoking the country’s new chapter, he called on investors and representatives of leading companies operating in the energy, defense, and pharmaceutical sectors to invest in the country. In the same vein, at the dinner co-organized by 28 Greek-American organizations in his honor, he emphasized that the Greek economy is growing at double the rate compared to the Eurozone, continuously attracting direct investments to the country, accumulating over 30 billion in the last five years, while tourism is flourishing.
It is indicative that while Erdogan was crossing the White House threshold for the first time in six years, Kyriakos Mitsotakis was holding meetings in New York with top officials from the UAE, Lockheed Martin, and ExxonMobil, confirming investment expansion and excellent progress in F-16 and F-35 programs. The feedback from the Prime Minister’s meeting with the UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, was complete satisfaction from the Emirati side regarding UAE investments in Greece, while confirming the intention to strengthen and further develop investments in strategic sectors. In the meeting with Lockheed Martin President Michael Williamson, excellent cooperation between the two sides was confirmed along with smooth progress in F-16 upgrade programs and the F-35 program, which strengthen our country’s defense footprint. In the meeting with ExxonMobil Vice President John Ardill, further prospects for energy cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean were discussed, aiming to strengthen energy security and international cooperation in the region.
The government communicates that the presence of ExxonMobil southwest of Crete and the Peloponnese, and Chevron south of Crete, result from dynamic policy in hydrocarbon exploration, enhancing the country’s attractiveness as a destination for international energy investments, making it clear that Greece is emerging as a critical link for European Union energy security, as alternative energy sources are sought to achieve independence from Russian gas. Of exceptional importance was the meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the United Nations headquarters, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, while he held an introductory meeting with the new US Ambassador to Athens, Kimberly Guilfoyle. From New York, the Prime Minister sent significant messages domestically, reminding that “Greece experimented with populism” in 2015, with references to the third memorandum, which delayed its exit from the crisis by four years.
The election message: “Progress vs Regression” comparison and 2015 populism
Specifically, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he emphasized: “Of course, citizens tend to forget and we must remind them how things were a decade ago and the progress we have made, because no progress is irreversible in a democracy,” outlining the government’s strategy toward the 2027 elections, focusing on comparing his government and himself as Prime Minister with his predecessors, emphasizing the progress versus regression dilemma.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlighted Greece’s upgraded role as a pillar of stability within a fluid international and regional geopolitical environment, in his speech before the UN General Assembly, where he referred to challenges and risks from Ukraine to the Middle East. From the UN podium, the Prime Minister made clear that Turkey must withdraw its casus belli after 30 years. “The way forward is dialogue, not the language of weapons,” he said characteristically.
From the UN General Assembly podium and referring to Gaza, he stressed that there is no justification for continuing the war. “We are strategic partners with Israel, but if it continues like this, it will alienate its friends,” he said characteristically. Regarding the war in Ukraine, he said: “It is a war for democracy and dignity, and Greece supports Ukraine without any reservation. And will continue to do so. There can be no peace process without ceasefire and without Ukraine at the table. Just as there can be no acceptance of border changes in areas taken by force.” Furthermore, regarding the Greek proposal for a pan-European age limit for social media access, K. Mitsotakis announced that it is being examined by the Commission.
Published in Sunday Afternoon
