Dear Pedro, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I am here today in Madrid, thirteen years after the last official bilateral visit by a Greek Prime Minister to Spain.
And my presence here, on one of my first trips of the new year, demonstrates, as Pedro said, the desire to further strengthen the already very strong relations between our two countries.
These relationships have both a European and a Mediterranean imprint, based on shared experiences and shared perceptions of the future of Europe.
Moreover, our meeting is taking place at a time of unprecedented international uncertainty, geopolitical upheaval, and crisis hotspots, not only on our continent but also beyond it. Our agenda was therefore inevitably extensive and, I would say, critically important.
We both attended the latest summit in Paris, where we discussed issues relating to Ukraine. The war is now entering its fifth year. We discussed the latest diplomatic developments. We reiterated our continued support for the Ukrainian people through the transparent management of European funds. This is because this support directly concerns European security as a whole, as well as the credibility of the European Union as a geopolitical player.
In the same context, we also referred to Greece’s contribution through its participation in support mechanisms and the strengthening of Ukraine’s energy security through the Vertical Corridor, which our country is promoting.
We exchanged views on current developments in the Middle East. We all remain committed to peace and stability in this sensitive region. We support the full implementation of the peace plan, look forward to a rapid transition to the second phase and, at the same time, consider the disarmament of Hamas a necessary prerequisite for long-term security and for creating the conditions for the reconstruction of Gaza.
From this perspective, Athens, a country that is a strategic partner of Israel but at the same time a friend of the Arab countries, and I would say a privileged interlocutor of the Palestinian Authority, is ready, like Spain, to play an active role in the day after.
And as I emphasized recently during my visit to Ramallah and Jerusalem, restarting the political process with the aim of achieving a two-state solution is key to ensuring sustainable peace and a normal life in the region.
After all, only a clear and transparent political horizon can prevent new cycles of violence. It is also the EU that has the power to create the right conditions for economic and energy cooperation, meaning initiatives for prosperity for all neighboring peoples.
We also discussed the latest developments in Venezuela, agreeing that the priority now is to de-escalate tensions and ensure a smooth transition to a new government with democratic legitimacy. This is because a change of personnel is necessary, but it is not sufficient for restoring democratic normality. This requires a comprehensive and coordinated transition.
The international community must therefore act in a responsible and realistic manner, supporting a political process based on respect for human rights and the principles of international law.
In this spirit, Greece will continue to cooperate with its partners in the European Union and the United Nations in order to contribute constructively to the creation of a climate of stability and democratic normality in Venezuela.
We also discussed strengthening economic cooperation, as Pedro mentioned. Greece and Spain are two countries in southern Europe. In recent years, they have been growing and recovering strongly after a long period of crisis, and we share the same belief that growth must be socially equitable and translate into tangible benefits for citizens.
There is considerable scope, dear Pedro, for meaningful economic cooperation in many areas, with a view to strengthening our bilateral trade. Greece, after all, is a point of reference in the Eastern Mediterranean, while Spain’s presence in its western pillar is also crucial. Our geographical position, therefore, offers both countries opportunities for new business ventures.
We also discussed the Multiannual Financial Framework, which will be the subject of difficult negotiations next year. I believe that we are both fully committed to supporting the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. These are funds that are of particular interest to the countries of the South.
Greece and Spain also share common positions in favor of the conclusions included in the Draghi and Letta reports. This is because both sides support joint European investments in areas of common interest, with joint -I stress- European funding.
We discussed migration, the implementation of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, but we also discussed issues that affect the daily lives of our citizens.
We, all European governments, are aware that the increased cost of living is now putting a pressure on all European countries. And it is clear that post-pandemic price increases, following successive geopolitical crises, together with housing, are common challenges for both Greece and Spain.
That is why, in addition to the need for targeted national policies, we must also discuss stronger European support, so that growth leaves no one behind.
Finally, I would like to thank Pedro once again for his kind words about Greece’s contribution to Spain in the wake of the devastating fires that ravaged your country last summer. I believe that this support highlights, more than anything else, the need to invest more in policy adjustments to the climate crisis, something we have discussed many times in the European Council. The time has come, dear Pedro, to put this into practice through specific policy decisions that we will take.
Once again, I would like to thank you for your excellent hospitality and look forward to continuing our discussions.
Ioannis Kantelis (SKAI): Yesterday, Mr. Trump stated that Greenland will, in one way or another, become part of the US. How prepared is Europe to defend European territory? If he does, how will he do so? What does this mean for NATO cohesion and how will Europe protect European states from various international threats? Thank you very much.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I believe that the future of Greenland concerns exclusively Greenland and Denmark. Europe should be at the forefront of defending the national independence and territorial integrity of all its member states.
And I want to believe, Mr. Kantelis, that there are solutions that are mutually beneficial in relation to security in the Arctic, which may involve the US but also the European Union and certainly NATO, so that we can address what we all recognize as a real problem, security issues in the Arctic, without discussing solutions that violate international law.
I therefore believe that the European Union will be completely united on this issue, and I want to believe that common sense will ultimately prevail and that we will arrive at solutions that will be mutually beneficial and will not call into question the security architecture of Euro-Atlantic relations, as they have been built since at least the Second World War.
Georgia Skitzi (ERT): Mr. Prime Minister of Spain, Mr. Prime Minister of Greece, at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, migration pressures -you both referred to migration-, but also to uncertainty in the European economy, did you discuss today any joint initiatives that you could promote so that the countries of southern Europe have a stronger and more unified voice within the European Union? What direction will you take in the coming period? Thank you.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: First of all, I would like to begin by emphasizing what the Spanish Prime Minister said about the performance of the economies of the southern countries.
A decade ago, fifteen years ago, at the beginning of the economic crisis, the countries of the South were presented as the “sick man” of Europe, who needed support from the countries of the North in order to cope with our major economic problems. That era is now irrevocably over.
Today, southern European countries, including Spain and Greece, are leading Europe in terms of growth rates, but they are doing so in a fiscally responsible manner, reducing debt as a percentage of GDP and borrowing at interest rates that are lower than other countries that may have had a much stronger fiscal position in the past.
Why am I saying this? Because the credibility of the southern countries, when we can talk about the major challenges facing Europe, especially when it comes to shaping the next Multiannual Financial Framework, is greatly enhanced, and I believe that we share with Spain this desire for a more ambitious European budget, that will enable us to respond at European level to the major and diverse crises we are facing.
I would like to reiterate that Greece was at the forefront, submitting a proposal for a single European financial instrument that would be able to invest in joint defense procurement, but also in the development of the European defense industry, so that we can put the much-discussed strategic autonomy into practice.
This is a debate that is still ongoing in Europe, and I believe that as geopolitical challenges increase and as it becomes clear that in this new environment we have entered, Europe must not be geopolitically naive, it is my belief that countries such as Spain and Greece can play an important role in shaping this European debate, which I believe is now more relevant than ever.
