Introductory remarks by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Dear Antonio. Thank you very much for your kind words, for receiving us so warmly and kindly here in sunny Lisbon. I am here today supporting the Portuguese Presidency, in this semester of major challenges. During this semester we must set the stage for the final act of this pandemic, dealing with the second -for some European countries even the third- wave, while also expanding vaccinations. What is also important, during this semester, is to write the preface of the return to European normality, with the European Recovery Fund serving as the growth initiator.
At the same time, the EU Council Presidency will have to handle challenging matters, such as the common stance of Member States regarding migration flows, which is a problem for our continent as a whole. The Presidency will also have to closely follow the path that has been etched as regards the decisions that govern EU – Turkey relations, always on the basis of Turkey’s compliance with International Law and the unwritten rules of good neighbourliness.
As I told you in private, Portugal’s success will be Europe’s success, it will be Greece’s success. This is why we will contribute with dynamism in your great effort. Besides, we share important historical experiences. We are natural allies as states of the European South. We are two countries that went through a deep financial crisis. We have similar experiences.
And, of course, me and my friend Antonio may have different ideological and political backgrounds, but we come together in the common effort, the common path towards reforms that have a social impact. Our paths cross when it comes to the effectiveness of our choices, which usually go beyond the faultlines that once separated political groups. And I think that my friend Antonio and I share the same commitment to the truth while abhorring populism.
We had the chance to discuss in detail the framework of our bilateral relations, which are excellent. however they can become even stronger on the economic front. We discussed extensively the need to accelerate the effort to activate the European Recovery Fund. Greece and Portugal are among the countries that have already submitted their draft proposals to the European Commission. We have similar priorities and we fully share the Portuguese Presidency’s focus on digital transformation, the green economy and Europe’s social pillar.
I am very pleased that -once the pandemic has subsided- we will meet in Porto in May, where we will have the opportunity to discuss the social pillar of Europe. We will discuss proposals and ideas about the manner in which policies such as the guaranteed minimum income, which has already been implemented in Greece as well as many other European countries, may garner a common european dimension.
We have also discussed to a great extent issues that pertain to migration and refugee flows. This morning, I had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of the Maritime Police and also talk -through video conference- with the Portuguese head of the mission who is serving in Lesbos today. He showed us on the map the exact itinerary he followed yesterday, literally along the border, the frontiers between Greece and Turkey. These borders are at the same time the borders between Europe and Turkey.
I want to take advantage of this opportunity to thank Antonio and Portugal once again, for their active support through Frontex in the effort to safeguard the European borders. Over the last seven years the Portuguese mission alone has saved 7,000 people who were in danger of drowning.
Migration flows decreased significantly this past year, thanks to Greece’s effort to safeguard its borders in a more effective way. And let me repeat that Greece’s borders are also the borders of Europe. In this effort, we need more European aid. The pact on asylum and migration that the Portuguese Presidency is now tasked to further handle -taking the mantle from Germany- is a very important and multi-dimensional tool. We need to make further progress in this crucial matter. Antonio put this succinctly, we can’t let the countries of first reception bear this burden alone. We need to show more European solidarity.
There are many ways to demonstrate this solidarity. However, on this issue I need to thank Portugal anew, because it was one of the first countries that offered to host unaccompanied minors when we tried to convince European countries that we need more greater solidarity, especially in this crucial -perhaps the most crucial- aspect of migration.
I also had the chance to inform Antonio on the latest developments concerning greco-turkish relations. As you know, Mr Borrell has been tasked by the European Council to present at the Council meeting in March a complete text on Europe’s strategic choices vis a vis Turkey.
Let me reiterate that we expect, we aspire to fertile and productive relations with Turkey. It will be to the benefit of Turkey, Greece and Europe, if Turkey changes track. I think that 2021 can be a better year for greco-turkish and EU – Turkey relations, compared with 2020.
I have repeatedly said that we are open, we look forward to and are waiting for the Turkish invitation, the official Turkish invitation, to resume exploratory talks on this one, main issue that we are dealing with, which is the delimitation of maritime zones in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Dear Antonio, let me conclude with an historical reference. In the semester of your EU Presidency, Greece will be celebrating 200 years of independence. A compatriot of yours fought for this independence, Colonel Antonio Almeida from the city of Elvas, came to Greece in 1826 and fought bravely against the Ottomans. He also married a woman from Greece, named Zoi Mavrokordatou, and served in the Greek Armed Forces. Thus he became the first Greek Portuguese.
Moreover, almost a century later, in 1913, his grandson bearing the same name gave his life heroically in the battles of our national forces to liberate Macedonia, which expanded Greece in the beginning of the previous century. Thus he became yet another Portuguese associated with the history of my country, whilst glorifying the history of your country.
This name Antonio Almeida therefore becomes another link connecting our countries. A symbol of freedom and democracy with two homelands at the two ends of the Mediterranean. One more strong bridge of friendship and cooperation between our peoples.
And I think, my friend the Prime Minister of Portugal, that this is the best occasion to invite you to Greece in this emblematic year, 2021, a year during which we will be celebrating our national rebirth. And it is your best passport to Greece -besides, you have the same name as the Almeidas, Antonio- as Greeks will see in you a valued friend.
Thank you once more for your warm reception in beautiful Lisbon. I wish all the best to the Presidency of your country, our friend Portugal.
Following their introductory remarks, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa replied to journalists’ questions.
Dimitris Gatsios (ERT): Thank you. Dimitris Gatsios from ERT. Prime Ministers, I wish you a Happy New Year. I have a two-part question. The first one is addressed to the Prime Minister of Portugal. Mr Costa, last week the Foreign Minister of Turkey visited Portugal, which has assumed the Presidency of the European Union, while there is the pending issue of the report by Mr Borrell that will define the relations between Brussels and Ankara.
I would like to ask you for your impressions regarding Turkey’s intentions, following this visit. Did you notice indications that Turkey seeks to normalize its relations with Greece and consequently with the European Union. As the holder of the Presidency of the European Council, what is the message you are sending to Turkey, given that three months from now it will be evaluated whether Ankara has complied with the decisions of the European Union, following December’s summit.
The second part of my question is addressed to the Greek Prime Minister. A while ago, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs invited our country to resume exploratory talks within January. The Foreign Ministry announced that so far it has not received an invitation from the turkish side concerning the scheduling of the 61st round of exploratory talks. I would like to have your comment on that. Thank you.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Greece will attend the exploratory talks once the date is finalized, following the guidance given by the European Council itself, meaning that we will resume the discussions essentially from the point where we left them in March 2016, hopefully reporting progress on the delimitation of maritime zones in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
I was informed of the statements by Mr Cavusoglu as I was engaged in talks with my friend the Prime Minister of Portugal.
As long as there is a will the process here is quite simple: To my knowledge, the Secretaries-General of the Foreign Ministries talk to one another, they set the date and then this date is jointly announced by the two Ministries. As far as I know, this is not the case yet. When it happens, we will be able to confirm that a specific date has been set.
I hold on to the fact that Turkey expressed, through its Minister of Foreign Affairs, the will to start this process. However, perhaps it is time to stop playing games and sit at the table in order to find a date and resume talks.
Beyond that point, this will definitely be a positive first step. On the other hand, I want to reiterate what has already been pointed out by the European Council following our latest meeting: that this requires consistency and continuity. And I think that is what will be assessed through Mr Borrell’s report, which will be presented to us in March.
Sérgio Vicente (RTP) – based on the interpretation): Good afternoon, Sergio Vicente, RTP. I have a question for both of you. The recovery and resilience plan started getting developed in the summer, after the first wave of the pandemic. Do you think that this plan is up to date or does it have to be enhanced further?
As far as the pandemic is concerned. It seems that Greece is going through an emergency. Everything seems to be pointing out that Portugal will also have a curfew from Thursday. So I would like to ask the Prime Minister how is it possible, in practical terms, to implement measures on Thursday if they are announced on Wednesday, in a matter of hours, based on a Presidential decree?
Furthermore, I would like to know whether these measures will take into account the current data of the pandemic. There were 128 deaths in Portugal today. There was a provision for the participation of private health services too. What will happen with this? Schools are also expected to open. Will all tiers of education open again or just some of them?
And another short question. If you knew before what you know now, would there have been such relaxed measures during Christmastime?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Let me first reply to your first question, on the Recovery Fund. More than ever, it is imperative, now more than ever, to start the disbursement of funds allocated to the Recovery Fund as soon as possible.
We spent two nights without sleep in July, at a European Council that lasted five days, in order to reach an agreement on what constitutes an enormous European success, a very important step forward, a leap I dare to say, for Europe: Europe’s ability to borrow at a European level and channel resources to the member states, especially those that need them the most. Not only loans, but also grants.
So, it is very important that this process goes forward as soon as possible. I believe that the funds are sizable. Thirty-two billion euros have been earmarked for Greece, approximately the same amount has been allocated to Portugal, with a slightly different ratio between loans and grants. This is a lot of money and I don’t want there to be any delays in their disbursement.
It is certain that the first quarter of 2021 might prove to be more difficult than expected, for the simple reason that there is a second and third wave (of the pandemic) in some countries. This de facto leads to restrictions on the economy. And of course, not all countries move at the same speed and the same pace. We practically were in lockdown during Christmas. Now we are doing better. We opened primary schools and kindergartens today. I hope that we will soon be able to reopen more sectors -while always following the instructions of the experts.
Portugal did better earlier, now the situation is worse. We know that this is how things will go until there are more vaccinations and until we get to April or May, when the weather improves and it will be our ally.
Therefore, we have three tough months ahead of us. It is imperative for every country to separately effect its own national vaccination strategy. We have achieved very good progress. I want to reiterate -since there is a lot of discussion over the vaccines- that Greece, and as far as I know Portugal as well, will eventually have more vaccines than we need. We have all ordered more vaccines than the ones we know that we will be able to use. This is due to the fact that we all agreed to buy the vaccines at the European level. I still think that despite any adversity and difficulty, this has been a European success.
Nikos Armenis (ANA-MPA and MEGA Channel): Happy New Year. Nikos Armenis from ANA-MPA and MEGA Channel. My question is addressed to both leaders and is related to the pandemic and the restrictive measures. In Portugal, the number of cases these last days has been rising. Still, restaurants and retail stores remain open on workdays. In Greece, these last days we are seeing a slow improvement in the number of cases, nevertheless retail shops and restaurants are closed. Are you considering changing your strategy?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Allow me to answer first. Having listened to the Portuguese Prime Minister, I think that all of us who are called to make decisions during this period experience the same process. Datasets that are bound to change continuously and the need, as we have repeatedly said, to constantly adapt our strategy based on new data.
We have said from the beginning that this is not going to be a stable path. And of course not all countries are synchronized. They are not at the same stage.
As I said, on January 1st we took the decision, and it was a political decision, to impose a stricter lockdown for a week. This lockdown has been extended for one more week in order to limit any negative repercussions from the fact that during the Christmas season there are more social interactions.
The data have been encouraging so far. Nonetheless, Mr Armenis, we have specified a very clear process whereby the committee of infectious disease specialists will convene every week, on Thursday or Friday, these experts will have the data at their disposal and they will make a decision week after week, or for a two-week period. This will happen now too.
I hope that we will do well and we will keep on doing well. But it is not my job to preempt the experts’ suggestions.
From the Greek side, the delegation that took part in the talks consisted of the Alternate Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Member of the Hellenic Parliament and International Relations Secretary of New Democracy Tasos Chatzivasileiou, the Prime Minister’s Diplomatic Office chief Ambassador Eleni Sourani and Greece’s Ambassador to Portugal, Ioannis Metaxas.
