“We have strong allies and we have invested even more in our deterrent power so that we do not allow anyone to challenge our sovereignty and sovereign rights”, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said arriving at the European Council Summit in Brussels on Monday.
“The first issue that will concern us at the extraordinary summit that will start soon will be the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. I believe that we are close to reaching an agreement, which will include sanctions to ban the export of oil and oil products to the European Union from Russia. I believe that the individual objections of the Member States can be reduced in order to finally reach the desired result,” said Mitsotakis.

“We will also have the opportunity to discuss the very important challenges we face as a European Union in the field of energy. All European Member States are currently facing very high energy prices, resulting in excessively high gas prices. Prices, which as I have said many times, are not justified by the laws of supply and demand for it, and it is important to bring the discussion about a cap back to the wholesale price of gas so that we can drag down overall energy costs and of course electricity prices. We will have the opportunity to discuss the very interesting proposals submitted by the European Union in the framework of the new RePower EU project, which Greece can also take advantage of”, continued Mitsotakis.

The Prime Minister made special reference to the measures to facilitate consumers who are facing huge problems due to the large hikes in electricity bills, the price of liquid fuels, and the prices of basic consumer products.

“In any case, I would like to reiterate that the Greek government will stand by the Greek consumers, both for the businesses, and the households, in order to keep the high electricity prices within our power as much as possible. Within the next 15 days, the relevant platform will open in order to return 60% of the excessive increase paid by households to the electricity bills from the beginning of the year, and from the beginning of July, a new electricity billing system will be implemented with intervention in the wholesale market, in order to neutralise the adjustment clause and the increases of the electricity prices to be reasonable ” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Mitsotakis said he would initially inform his counterparts participating in the Summit “about the recent intense provocation of Turkey, and the effects it has on the stability of the eastern Mediterranean. “Greece is facing these challenges with confidence and determination. We are a country that has international law on its side, we have strong allies and we have invested even more in our deterrence so that we do not allow anyone to challenge our sovereignty and sovereign rights.”