Mitsotakis: Greece will decide how to strengthen defence
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Thursday that Greece would not accept instructions from other countries on how to strengthen its defence capabilities, while calling for a stronger and more secure European Union.
Speaking alongside European Council President António Costa, Mitsotakis said Greece was already putting forward “clear positions and bold proposals” ahead of its presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2027.
He said Athens wanted to contribute to a more competitive, secure and resilient Europe while advancing common European priorities.
Mitsotakis said discussions with Costa focused heavily on negotiations over the EU's 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework.
He said Greece supported reaching a political agreement by the end of the year and called for an ambitious EU budget capable of financing new priorities without weakening cohesion policy or the Common Agricultural Policy.
“We cannot achieve more by spending less,” Mitsotakis said, arguing that investment in convergence ultimately benefits both peripheral and core EU economies.
He also backed increased EU resources to address climate-related disasters, including wildfires, and suggested that common European public goods such as defence could, under certain conditions, be financed through new joint borrowing instruments.
Competitiveness remains key
Mitsotakis urged the EU to accelerate efforts to improve competitiveness, warning that Europe risks falling behind global developments unless it embraces artificial intelligence and new technologies.
He called for the completion of the single energy market, saying European households and businesses continue to face higher energy costs than competitors elsewhere.
The prime minister also highlighted the Savings and Investment Union as a priority to give European companies better access to financing within the bloc.
Athens calls for stronger defence
On European defence, Mitsotakis said the EU must develop a common approach to protecting its territory against threats from all directions.
He described the Security Action for Europe, or SAFE, initiative as an important step but said more needed to be done.
He also stressed that cooperation with third countries must not compromise the security and defence interests of EU member states.
Mitsotakis raises Turkish tensions
Mitsotakis also briefed Costa on what he described as a recent escalation of Turkish provocations in the Aegean.
He said respect for international law and good neighbourly relations were prerequisites for the European path of any candidate country, pointing to existing European Council decisions.
“It is inconceivable that there should be an active threat of war and challenges to Greek sovereignty from a country that aspires to improve its relations with the European Union,” he said.
Mitsotakis said Greece wanted to strengthen Türkiye's European path but insisted that this must be accompanied by good neighbourly relations with Greece.
“My country is a peaceful country and poses no threat to anyone. However, it will not accept instructions from anyone on how to strengthen its defence capabilities,” he said.
Source:AMNA
