During his radio interview on Thursday morning, Kyriakos Mitsotakis was immediately queried about the F-35 sale agreement between the US and Greece.
The Prime Minister stated that “the letter sent by Mr. Blinken is the best proof of the strategic depth of the Greek-American relations. Greece has secured a qualitative advantage for the Air Force and a significant contribution though donated material to strengthen the Armed Forces.”
“It was a long negotiation but also a proof that the US sees Greece as a factor of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. Not many countries have free access to military hardware from the US, because obviously what we can get for free, substitutes for the spending that we would have to do to enhance our deterrent capability in the future.”
Addressing the topic, he stressed that “Our goal has always been to have a qualitative deterrent advantage over Turkey and in the Hellenic Airforce (HAF) we have achieved that. Our foreign policy position has been consistent, that we cannot dictate to the US what weapons they will sell to Turkey. But we can ensure that weapons are not used against NATO allies. If the US feels they need to cut off a defense supply they have the ability to do so.
We need to maintain a good climate for discussion and analysis in a frame that is bordering on confrontation as if we are forgetting that we have taken important steps with the Athens Declaration. We have put Greek-Turkish relations on a treadmill and we have an obligation on those of us involved in public debate to preserve this.”
On Mr Erdogan’s latest statement, Mitsotakis said that anyone who believes that the rapprochement will proceed without turbulence is out of place. At the same time, he revealed that “I plan to visit Ankara in May in response to Tayyip Erdogan’s official visit to Athens last December.”
Greece’s relations with the Congress and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee are close. These relations are built on the premise that what actions taken are in the interest of both countries.
Regarding the cost of the F-35, Mitsotakis explained that the first phase has not yet been determined by the Defence Ministry. “We have the possibility to buy up to 40, we will not do it all at once because it is an expensive procurement. We have secured budgetary space for a squadron with a delivery time of the end of this decade. Turkey has a significant export war industry and we are running to catch up. We also have our eye on the future with drones or unmanned submarines. We need to be at the forefront of these developments” , the Prime Minister stated.
Moreover he added that, “Greece has been rewarded for its foreign policy. The armed forces are in better shape than they were in 2019 and Greece has tangible and concrete benefits from this policy, which is manifested in access to much more advanced weapons systems and also in free military hardware that would not have come if we had a different foreign policy. We have every reason to be satisfied with the progress we have made and the country’s obligation to spend more on its defence than a country in Europe.
Preserving a good climate is a prerequisite for entering into a political dialogue. If this issue had an easy solution I am sure that one of my predecessors would have resolved it. The prerequisite is basic respect for international law and acceptance of the framework with specific rules, but also avoiding tensions on the ground. More channels of communication have been re-established at various levels, and not only with regard to my relationship with Mr Erdogan.
Greece has clearly defined its limits with Turkey on the ground, on the Evros and the 2020 crisis, and at the same time we have strengthened our alliances and shielded our economy, as without a strong economy you are going nowhere. The speech to Congress was a significant moment for me. I spoke about the depth of Greek-American relations and it is certainly a great honor for a head of government to speak there and that in itself says something. As we can see, it is not a theoretical exercise in personal satisfaction but has tangible results in arming the country.”
On the issue of escalating costs
A distinct segment of the debate was devoted to the pressing matter of rising costs and soaring prices. The Prime Minister articulated, “two dynamics are unfolding: there has been a surge of high prices from the global market, and on top of that there has been an inflation of greed. The state’s response can only be strict. For me, the non-negotiable priority is to increase wages. We will have an increase in the minimum wage and my commitment to an increase to EUR 950 at the end of my government’s four year term, remains . At the same time, we support the average family and that is why I have taken a personal decision to increase the birth grant and retroactively.”
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