Kyriakos Mitsotakis is traveling to Brussels to participate this evening in the EU–Western Balkans Summit and, starting tomorrow, in the European Council meeting.

Government sources note that Greece consistently supports EU enlargement as an investment in security and stability in the region. They stress that Greece maintains its position that this is a performance-based process, dependent on each candidate country. They add that it is a demanding process requiring reforms and compliance with the prerequisites of the accession framework.

Regarding partners in the Western Balkans, government sources emphasize that Greece’s long-standing position is that the future of the Western Balkans lies within the EU. Greece firmly supports their accession perspective, provided that they meet the required conditions and prerequisites, particularly those related to good-neighborly relations and respect for binding international agreements.

The main issues expected to be discussed at the summit of the 27 EU leaders include the latest developments in Ukraine and related peace talks, as well as Ukraine’s financing needs for the period 2026–2027. The agenda also includes the next Multiannual Financial Framework, EU enlargement, geoeconomics, and competitiveness.

With regard to options for financing Ukraine, and specifically the granting of a Reparations Loan using frozen Russian assets, Greece seeks to play a constructive role in the discussion. The country is, in principle, positive toward utilizing these assets with the greatest possible legal and fiscal security.

In this context, Greece, like other member states, has asked the European Commission to assess the potential fiscal and broader economic impacts associated with the Reparations Loan and the guarantees accompanying it.

The Prime Minister is expected to propose that, should the guarantees be activated, a safeguard clause mechanism should also be triggered, so that any public expenditure arising from potential guarantee repayments would be excluded from the calculation of expenditure targets under EU fiscal rules.

Regarding the discussion on the next Multiannual Financial Framework, which will focus on the architecture of the next EU budget and related issues, the government’s core position is that competitiveness and cohesion are top-priority objectives that are complementary rather than competing—communicating vessels that should be viewed through the same lens and addressed with a holistic approach. This approach should cover the entire Union and businesses of all sizes, including small and medium-sized enterprises.

In addition, the Common Agricultural Policy is also a top priority and must remain so. As with cohesion policy, distinct and adequate resources at the European level must be ensured for it.