Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met today with the Director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Pierre Gramegna, at the Maximos Palace.

The subject of the meeting was the effectiveness of the measures that have been implemented to address tax evasion in our country, while highlighting the importance of reforms that will benefit the medium -term horizon, in areas such as the rapid administration of justice and the utilization of technology to the provision of services.

At the meeting, it was also noted that after the pandemic Greece is steadily achieving growth that is more than twice the European average, has achieved a large decrease in unemployment and has significantly improved the proportion of public debt to GDP.

ESM was also discussed in the financing of European investment and initiatives in fields such as defense, which are necessary due to the geopolitical changes taking place.

At the start of the meeting, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed to his interlocutor that his visit was at a time when we seem to have completely surpassed the days when the European stability mechanism was directly linked to Greece, at least based on today’s ESM planning. For his part, Pierre Gramegna said, among other things, that the main reason that has come to Greece today is not because it is worried about the Greek economy.

In detail the statements

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I am very pleased with your visit, at a time when we seem to have completely surpassed the days when the European stability mechanism was directly linked to Greece, at least based on its current design.

It is therefore our pleasure that you are here and where we are discussing how the European Stability Mechanism can potentially evolve and contribute to the direction of our new obligations and our new priorities. So I look forward to the discussion we will have.

Pierre Gramegna: Thank you very much, Mr Prime Minister, who you accept with our team. Let me start by saying that the main reason I have come to Greece today is not because I am worried about the Greek economy.

It is because we are targeting several countries, as our world changes, the allies are changing. We have issues of fragmentation and defense on the table. Europe must be united and I believe that Greece can play a big role in it. This is the main reason I visit you.

But there is a second reason that came when I landed here. I have not measured my visits to Greece, but the first time I came to Greece was 50 years ago as a student. The first thing we did then was to visit the Acropolis. That’s what I did this morning.

Because I think this country is the cradle of democracy and we need it more than ever. So it’s my pleasure to be here.