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Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent a clear message regarding Turkish aggression against Greece in an interview with the American network CNN, where he also focused on the issue of unity and coordinated movements to deal with the energy crisis while repeating that there will be no elections before the end of the four years.
Following Turkey’s inflammatory actions, Mitsotakis emphasised that Greece would defend its territorial sovereignty, but expressed hope to continue talks with the Turkish side.
The PM called Ankara’s stance irresponsible at the current time, saying it was entertaining nationalistic delusions while focusing on the need for stability in the eastern Mediterranean.
Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, the prime minister emphasised the following: “we are facing a geopolitical crisis after the Russian invasion, the last thing we need is a source of instability in Southeast Europe. International law is only a tool. Greece has always behaved responsibly. We have seen serious challenges in recent months.”
“It is better for Erdogan to deal with the Turkish economy, rather than reviving neo-Ottoman fantasies,” the prime minister pointed out, while the collapse of the Turkish lira continues. “We will do everything to protect our sovereignty,” added the prime minister.
On energy
Referring to the burning issue of high energy prices facing the whole of Europe and following the Commission’s proposal to limit the use of natural gas by 15% from August 1st, the Prime Minister focused on the need to immediately de-escalate the crisis with European unity and coordinated actions.
“We have agreed in principle to reduce gas consumption by 15%. We have also agreed that it is not mandatory. But we need to send a clearer message to the markets that we are reliable. That is why I propose an intermediate solution between mandatory and voluntary measures, with a compensation mechanism for industries. We will pay industries not to use gas, in a more organised way,” the prime minister said.
“I hope we will have results before September. Gas prices have increased tenfold and this is not sustainable. We rely on gas for electricity. We are taking our own measures, we are going back to lignite for the next few years,” he added.
“There is something fundamentally wrong with the functioning of the gas market since last February. Many people are making a lot of money at the expense of European governments and citizens. It is an unacceptable situation that must be addressed. We need to separate gas prices from electricity, we have proposed a mechanism for this,” the prime minister emphasized, focusing on the Greek proposal for energy.”
During his interview, the Greek Prime Minister underlined the very good performance of the Greek economy, which has led to the recovery of market confidence and the need to continue financial support for businesses.
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