“We must join forces to focus on the people, our duty and the obligation to offer whatever possible to those in need,” stated Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in his speech at a meeting held at the Maximos Mansion on the refugees issue.

Mr. Tsipras stressed that “we are facing a problem beyond our powers” and explained that he invited all the representatives of the local authorities as well as Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos because, as he said, the problem has a humanitarian dimension.

As he clarified “the State and the Church must cooperate to confront the problems and this is probably the only way that may bring results.”

He also mentioned “in order to deal with the problem we must cooperate. We must find a solution not only on national but also on European level because we all understand that no local society can handle such a big burden without support”.

Regarding the reason of the meeting, he said that he called a meeting to “see how we will be able to facilitate and to deal with the problems, to circumvent bureaucracies and to see how we will succeed in being effective as regards our obligation to show the humanitarian face of Europe, of Greece and of our people to the whole of Europe,”.