Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed satisfaction with the draft document of the European Council, arriving at the EU Summit on Thursday.

“I will brief the European Council on developments in the Eastern Mediterranean,” he said. “Athens is fully covered by the draft conclusions, which clearly calls on Turkey to stop questioning the sovereignty, but also the territorial integrity of EU countries and return to a process of de-escalation, with full respect for international law”.

“I hope that Turkey will listen to these exhortations this time, because only in this way will it be possible to reduce the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean during these months, with the sole fault of the neighbouring country,” he added.

Regarding the agenda of the Summit, the Prime Minister stressed: “The current European Council has a special significance, as we will unanimously confirm the granting of candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. It is a very important political decision, which the EU is taking in response to Russia’s blatant invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine has the right to claim membership in the European family. And the decision sends a clear message from the EU, not only to support Ukraine in this difficult time but to open a door for the Ukrainian people to claim membership in a united Europe.”

Regarding the price rises and the energy crisis, he underlined: “Tomorrow we will have the opportunity, within the framework of the Summit, to discuss the developments on the economic front. European economies are facing high costs and inflation. The ability to deal with the crisis through budgets is finite. We have already implemented an important national plan, fuel pass, power pass program, and replacement of energy-intensive air conditioners, and together with the tax reduction policy that has been launched, we provide a framework of support for accuracy, which gnaws on income “.

He added: “But because it is a European problem, the root cause is due to the very high prices of natural gas, which also affects electricity. I will reiterate the urgent call for bold initiatives at the European level, such as imposing a ceiling on the wholesale price of gas. It is an issue we have been discussing for a long time and there has not been the necessary mobility. I now think that all members of the European Council understand that a coordinated European response is needed to tackle, as far as possible, the problems of households and businesses.”