The draft laws of the Ministry of Health were passed with a large majority by the Plenary of the Parliament: 1. “Ratification of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the Government of the Hellenic Republic on cooperation in the various sectors of health care” and 2. “Ratification of the Agreement amending the Agreement between the Governments of the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus on cooperation in the field of public health”.

The two bills were voted for by ND, PASOK and Syriza, voted against by KKE, while Hellenic Solution, Nea Aristera, Niki and Liberty Party were present.

As the rapporteur of the New Democracy Party, Thanasis Papathanasis, stressed, these are agreements that strengthen our country’s position in the Mediterranean and at the same time serve the fundamental goal of protecting and upgrading public health.

Citing as an example the health crisis that erupted worldwide with the pandemic, he pointed out regarding the Agreement with Cyprus, that on the one hand it is an act that consolidates an already strong cooperation in an area fundamental to the welfare state, while a stable framework is created that allows our health authorities to cooperate institutionally, without bureaucratic delays on issues such as epidemiological surveillance, management of public health crises, the development of common protocols, the use of digital systems for the management of public health, and the development of a common approach to health care. Moreover, he spoke of the geopolitical and strategic dimension since cooperation in the health sector is not only humanitarian, it is also political.

Regarding the agreement with Egypt, Papathanasis stressed that it is equally crucial, as it broadens the horizon of Greece’s cooperation in a key country for the Southeastern Mediterranean, with which opportunities are created for the exchange of know-how in hospital administration and the organization of health services, joint research projects in drugs and vaccines, the development of innovative tools in the field of biomedical technology. Specifically, he noted that the cooperation provides for the exchange of medical and nursing staff, training of health officials, development of digital health systems, and support for the pharmaceutical and medical equipment industry, which is very important for our country. Finally, he also referred to the geopolitical importance of the Agreement, since the Memorandum is not an isolated agreement, but is part of the wider strategy of trilateral cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt, and our country becomes a hub of stability and cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, upgrading its geopolitical role and safeguarding its national interests.