Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Mardas said provisions facilitating migrants and refugees to invest in Greece had been included in the new investment law. In an interview on Mega TV, Mardas said that the government was planning to convert the island of Egilia, off the coast of Euboea into a hub of arts and culture through the ‘Arts and Philosophy’ initiative. He said that relevant studies had already been conducted, while he underlined that the government intended to fund the whole project though private investment and foreign countries. He added that according to the ambitious plan, the management would be handed over to the private sector in oder to avoid delays in the investment stages. Commenting on the issue of the privatisation of the Hellenikon, Mardas said it was proof that the state could negotiate in an effective manner and improve the terms of state assets being privatised. On the issue of the turmoil caused due to the Islamic prayers in the Hagia Sophia in Turkey, the Minister stressed that the matter involved a series of international treaties, including Turkey’s obligations to respect UNESCO world heritage sites and the county’s which was linked to Turkey’s accession process into the EU.