Kyriakos Mitsotakis is attending the Summit on Artificial Intelligence Action in Paris. As part of his visit, the Greek Prime Minister met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.

Topics Discussed

Their meeting lasted approximately one hour and involved an open discussion covering a broad range of issues. According to sources, there was a comprehensive review of Greek-French relations, followed by a discussion of various key topics.

They touched upon European affairs in light of Donald Trump’s re-election as U.S. President, including developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Syria.

Naturally, the topic of Meteor missile sales came up. According to sources, Macron expressed support for Greece’s position but made it clear that France is not leading the sales initiative, as the Meteor missile system is a product of the multinational MBDA consortium.

Additionally, discussions covered European competitiveness, particularly in the field of Artificial Intelligence, as well as defense policies. Both leaders agreed on the need for greater fiscal flexibility for EU member states that wish to invest in defense.

Mitsotakis and Macron meet at the Élysée

A one-hour meeting at the Élysée – Key discussion points, including Meteor missiles

The Meeting Agenda and the Meteor Missiles

As previously reported, Kyriakos Mitsotakis was expected to discuss the issue of Meteor missiles with Macron. Turkey has expressed interest in acquiring these missiles for the Eurofighter jets it hopes to purchase after being excluded from the F-35 program.

According to sources, Mitsotakis and Macron had already held preliminary discussions on this topic during the recent informal EU Summit in Brussels. At that time, the French president did not present the issue as a done deal.

Moreover, Macron had a more recent discussion with Turkish President Erdoğan last Friday, which also touched on defense procurement matters. However, it is worth noting that France and Greece signed a strategic defense cooperation agreement years ago, meaning that their bilateral relations operate at a different level.

It is also worth mentioning that during his trip, Mitsotakis met with Ericsson Group CEO Börje Ekholm and DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis. Following his meeting with Macron, he is also set to meet with a senior executive from OpenAI.

Mitsotakis: “We Are Among the First Countries to Develop a Comprehensive AI Strategy”

“We are among the first countries to develop a comprehensive national strategy for artificial intelligence,” stated Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis upon arriving at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris.

He continued:
“We are one of the first countries to have formulated a cohesive national AI strategy. We are also one of the seven European nations selected for the ‘AI Factory’ initiative—a major European funding project aimed at developing AI infrastructure across the continent.”

“Greece boasts exceptional scientific talent in the AI field, and numerous major foreign tech companies have already invested in our country, establishing large-scale data processing centers and data hubs.”

“We are a country that can lead in intelligent policymaking to mitigate the negative effects of AI. We are also already leveraging AI to enhance the efficiency and productivity of our public administration. I look forward to a series of meaningful discussions that will not only help Greece achieve a ‘productivity revolution’ through AI but also identify areas where government intervention is needed to curb its negative consequences.”

“For example, I want to highlight, once again, the issue of children’s and adolescents’ mental health—a subject of personal concern for me. Greece has already taken a leading role in ensuring that our children and teenagers do not suffer negative mental health impacts from social media exposure and AI-generated content,” Mitsotakis concluded.

A First Meeting with J.D. Vance

The AI Action Summit, co-chaired by India, will also host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside heads of state, government officials, international organizations, and top tech companies from around the world.

It will also serve as Europe’s first opportunity to engage with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who is attending the summit. Vance will be present at a dinner hosted by Macron at the Élysée, where he may have his first informal meeting with Mitsotakis. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to address the plenary session of the summit.

Vance’s presence marks the first time a senior U.S. official is participating in a European forum, at a time when the U.S. President has been threatening the EU with tariffs over trade deficits.

Later in the week, Vance will also attend the Munich Security Conference, where the focus will be on Ukraine. It remains to be seen whether Mitsotakis will attend the conference in Bavaria as well.

Artificial Intelligence: The Core Issue of the Summit

At the heart of the summit discussions lies the ongoing AI power struggle between the U.S. and China.

According to government sources, Greece is not merely an observer but an active participant in the global AI dialogue at the highest level.

Mitsotakis has received a comprehensive AI strategy plan for Greece, developed by a special advisory committee led by renowned AI scientist Kostas Daskalakis two months ago.

Two of the committee’s proposals are already being implemented.

1. Greece is one of seven EU countries selected to establish an AI Factory—a hub for AI development that will foster collaboration between researchers, businesses, and the government.
2. An annual AI ethics forum is being established.

Last year, Mitsotakis spoke about Aristotle and AI. This year, the forum will focus on AI’s impact on children, with participation from Harvard University.