Main opposition New Democracy and its leader Vangelis Meimarakis expressed their satisfaction for the speech of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the European People’s Party group (EPP Group) meeting in Madrid on Thursday.

During her speech Mrs. Merkel didn’t make any reference to joint Greek-Turkish patrols while before the speech, she had a brief meeting with Mr. Meimarakis where Mr. Meimarakis had the chance to explain the arguments of the Greek side against the joint patrols.

Mr. Meimarakis addressing European People’s Party (EPP) conference he said that a European coast guard should be formed to patrol the European Union’s borders.

“We cannot have joint guarding of European borders with countries that are not part of Europe. This creates an issue. And for this reason, we asked that there be a European coast guard. And for Greece to simultaneously undertake the guarding of its borders with the help, of course, of Europe,” Meimarakis said.