Kyriakos Mitsotakis is in Brussels for the meetings of the European People’s Party (EPP) and the European Union, with the main topics being the finalization and formalization of the names that will assume the three top positions of the European Union, namely the Presidency of the European Council, the Presidency of the European Commission, and the position of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

In statements made before the start of the EU Summit, the Prime Minister referred to the agreement among the three “political families” – the EPP, the European Socialists, and the European Liberals – to propose Ursula von der Leyen for President of the European Commission, António Costa for President of the European Council, and Kaja Kallas for the position of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

“I hope that these choices will be accepted by the European Council, followed by a vote in the European Parliament. It is important that the process is completed within July to avoid any delays in the next European cycle,” Mr. Mitsotakis emphasized. He added, in another part of his statements, “Of course, this is not a process that excludes anyone, nor is there any intention to offend anyone. Personally, I have great respect for Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy. Italy is a very important country for the EU.”

“The other important issue we will discuss is the strategic agenda for the next five years, the important policy issues that the EU needs to address, and I am pleased that all the significant Greek priorities are reflected in this document, with a strong emphasis on issues of migration and protection of external borders, the need for more defense cooperation, issues of competitiveness, and support for the primary sector,” the Prime Minister said.

Furthermore, he mentioned that he will reintroduce his proposal for a common European defense policy. “We will discuss in more detail the issues of common defense cooperation, where I will have the opportunity to reintroduce the joint proposal I have formulated with the Polish Prime Minister for the creation of a European missile shield, as a flagship project that will mark a new step in European defense cooperation,” Mr. Mitsotakis noted.