The prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took the floor immediately after the remarks of the president of ELC, Manfred Weber, and the President of the Cypriot Republic, Nikos Christodoulides.
Addressing Weber, the Greek Prime Minister clarified Athens’ geopolitical strategy, stressing that “in the EU discussions on strategic autonomy, common defence and the European budget, Greece will be present to support a strong Europe“.
He added that a strong European Union “supports Greece, which in turn is making significant progress“, confirming the country’s position at the hard core of European decisions.
Then Mitsotakis turned to Nikos Christodoulides, praising the exceptional level of cooperation between the two countries. He noted that “the recognition of the very close ties between Greece and Cyprus as a result of Greece’s self-evident support for Cyprus acted as a catalyst so that the psychological ties between us are stronger than ever“.
At the same time, the Prime Minister also set a important milestone for the future, recalling that “Greece will assume the presidency of the EU in the second half of 2027“, adding meaningfully that “certainly the Greek citizens in the 2027 elections will choose which Prime Minister and which government can represent the country in this very important European obligation“.
Closing his speech, Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent a strong message to the representatives of the opposition parties (PASOK, SYRIZA, New Left) who attended the conference.
He described their presence as “demonstration of political culture” and pledged that the ruling party would continue to pursue low-key confrontation. “We will continue to insist on a heightened level of political dialogue. We are political rivals not enemies, we have common enemies in the problems of the people,” the prime minister concluded.
