It is up to Turkey to change its behavior. “We were never the ones who exceeded the limits, we showed aggression,” the prime minister said in an interview during his visit to Astypalea.
“Greece will not tolerate aggressive behavior, revisionist rhetoric and actions that amount to violations of Greek sovereign rights and Greek sovereignty,” he said. Kyriakos Mitsotakisin an interview given to the agency Reutersduring his visit to Astypalea.
Answering a question about Greek-Turkish relationsthe Prime Minister pointed out: “It is up to Turkey to change her behavior. We were never the ones who exceeded the limits, who showed aggression. We are absolutely certain, however, that we have the ability to defend our country if such a need arises. And we are also confident that we have allies who support us: the European Union, the United States.
I do not see the reason why Turkey must complain every time we say we are right, when we argue that our disputes must be resolved on the basis of International Law and that we can not accept absurd claims concerning sovereignty over the Greek islands. “Turkey should not be surprised when our allies, and in NATO, state the obvious: that we are right and that there is no other way to look at the issue than what we say.”
Asked about the project “Astypalea: smart & sustainable islandWhich is now in its second year of implementation, and its position in the government’s actions for clean energy and climate, the Prime Minister replied:
“What you see here is a ‘look’ into the future. What we are trying to do here in Astypalea – and we will try to do the same on all our islands – is to prove that the transition to clean energy can become a reality at an even faster pace than many expected.
Answering a question about Europe’s transition to a neutral economyas the EU seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuel exports, Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted: “Achieving our green transition goals is becoming a priority not only for environmental reasons, not just to become the first continent in the world to have a neutral climate footprint, but it is also important in order to strengthen our strategic autonomy.
The wind and sun we have here are producing, at the moment, the cheapest electricity we can have. It is abundant and it is ours. We do not need to rely on anyone else. “
Asked if there is a possibility problems in energy efficiency During the summer, the Prime Minister stressed: “Greece has been moving away from lignite for quite some time, but we still have lignite plants capable of providing backup power in case we need them, we have sufficient gas reserves to produce electricity from gas and , of course, during the summer the renewable energy sources work to the maximum, whether they are wind turbines or solar panels.
“There is no reason to worry about our energy efficiency during the summer.”
In terms of its management energy crisis and the cost of electricity at European level, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “We raised this issue, I myself raised it in the European Council. Most of my colleagues are now of the opinion that we need to rethink the way the European electricity market works. And we need to be able to take even more drastic measures, such as a temporary ceiling on the wholesale price of gas, to ensure that we have a well-functioning market.
The truth is that now, in Europe, we buy gas at the highest possible price compared to other regions or other continents. “So this is a short-term problem that we have to deal with.”
Asked about the occupation two Greek-owned oil tankers from Iran in the Gulf, the prime minister said: “What happened was an unacceptable act, which is essentially international piracy. The issue must be resolved as soon as possible. “
About perspective transport of natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe via Greece He said: “Now, when it comes to gas from the Eastern Mediterranean, I think we have to look at all the options and we have to find the most economical way to transport the European gas market that exists in Cyprus, to Israel. “Whatever solution one envisions, it will definitely include Greece.”
