Statements were made by Messrs. Mitsotakis and Soltz, after the completion of their private meeting at the chancellery.

See the statements:

Olaf Solz began with a reference to the war on Israel and Israel’s right to self-defense. He noted how important the release of the hostages is, we demand, he said, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. We stand for humanitarian aid. The solution for peace in the region is that of two states. We also discussed the situation in Ukraine, which still concerns us. It remains a terrifying, brutal war. We agreed that we will support OPykrania as long as necessary. We talked about the enlargement of the EU, the necessary reforms in the accession countries. We will work towards a better functioning and ready to take action EU. Another issue is immigration. Irregular arrivals have increased this year and Germany faces major challenges. We must find common solutions. Our bilateral relations are good and getting better

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Our relations are strengthened through the common challenges our countries face. We share the same values ​​and goals for a better future. I had come in March 2020, before the entire continent froze for the coronavirus nightmare. The news from Greece is much more optimistic than before. Greece is now writing a new chapter in its history. My country now has one of the strongest economies in Europe, supporting disposable income of citizens. We are expected to break visitor records, the public debt continues to shrink, Greece has the 1st place in the fastest reduction of public debt, worldwide. Our orientation towards reforms and political stability is unwavering. German companies are first among foreign companies in Greece, they are the 3rd largest customer of Greek products – it will be an honored country at the next exhibition in Thessaloniki. We are moving towards the green transition. A stable bridge between us are the more than half a million citizens who live here harmoniously, the Greek community.

It is possible that states like Greece will face new refugee pressures, Germany is aware of the efforts to protect the Greek and European borders. Europe’s aid must become more intense and be multifaceted and comprehensive. We also discussed European enlargement, we referred to regional cooperation schemes. Respect for the rule of law is a cornerstone of European cooperation.

Israel’s right to self-defense must be conducted by the rules of war. We separated Hamas from the Palestinian people. We see a humanitarian crisis, Greece is ready to play its role. A definitive solution can only be political with the establishment of two states, in accordance with UN resolutions and international law. The same for Ukraine. As European partners, we also discussed the Cyprus issue, with the common goal of restarting the negotiations.

I also expressed to the chancellor the effort to return Greek-Turkish relations to calmer waters.

Concluding his statements in German, Mr. Mitsotakis said that the two countries can achieve more in the spirit of cooperation. The friend in need appears, we are friendly countries, we will seek more cooperation.

When asked whether Mr. Soltz can convince Erdogan that Hamas is not a terrorist organization and if he can play the role of a mediator, Mr. Soltz said both of them (sic. Mitsotakis-Soltz) agree that Hamas is terrorist organization, it is clear. I must say that we are happy for the good neighborly relations between Greece and Turkey, we tried to help, but at the end of the day it is a question of the two countries. We are happy about the talks, we support them together.

Mr. Mitsotakis said that there is no doubt that Hamas is a terrorist organization. The fact that we disagree with President Erdoğan does not mean that we cannot welcome him in Athens, as Mr. Soltz does. We seek good relations, the progress we will try to capitalize on from Erdogan’s visit to Athens on December 7.

Asked about immigration and the implementation of the Dublin agreement, the prime minister said that the asylum process has been accelerated and border guarding procedures have been intensified. When we grant asylum, our intention is to stay in Greece, we have labor force needs.

The German chancellor said they talked about immigration, we want to quickly find practical answers to secondary immigration. I am optimistic that we will succeed. For the Western Balkans, I am optimistic that we must take the immediate step and that there will be integration. We will be able to find a solution at the European level. We will be able to find solutions to difficult issues.

Afterwards, Mr. Soltz said that the Greek economy is developing.

We discussed little about the economy, those are now behind us, said Mr. Mitsotakis and continued that it is important to change the narrative of Greek-German relations. Inflation is a central policy priority of the government to reduce the burden. I believe we have seen the worst of inflation.

Mr. Solz was in favor of reviving the EU’s migration agreement with Turkey.

We have said that we seek cooperation with Turkey on immigration, said Mr. Mitsotakis and added that he believes that steps have been taken on a bilateral level in recent months. Our aim is to prevent boats from leaving Turkey, traffickers should not decide who will enter the EU. We have made progress, but also a lot of work to do. We need increased resources to make migration management more effective. Infrastructure includes land barriers, such as the fence on the Evros and that is why it should enjoy European funding.