Mitsotakis: Participation of countries in Safe requires alignment with EU foreign policy

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent a clear message to Ankara, stressing that participation in European schemes such as Safe requires alignment with Common Foreign and EU Security Policy.

In particular, the prime minister, in a question about European defense cooperation, EU funding programs for defense and participation of Ukraine and other third countries said that “regarding the SAFE And in other candidate countries or other countries that could participate in it, I find it obvious that anyone who would like to access European funding would at least need to be in some alignment with the EU’s common foreign security policy and policy. Because, at the end of the day, it is a tool designed to protect Europe.

The Prime Minister’s placement in the plenary session of the meeting:

“Dear Volodymyr, dear colleagues, I am very pleased to participate in the 4th Ukraine-Eastern Europe Summit, along with our partners from Moldova and the Western Balkans. It is a pleasure to see the continuation of this initiative, which, as you may remember, started in Athens in August 2023. The 20th anniversary of the Thessaloniki Declaration appeared to be the right time to renew our commitment to the prospect of integration.

I am also double -excited to visit the city of Odessa for the second time. It is a city that is of particular historical and cultural significance for Greece. It is essentially the city where the flame of Greek independence lit up. At that time, the motto of those who envisioned our independence, dear Volodymyr, was “freedom or death”. And today Odessa is the city-symbol of the resistance of the Ukrainian people who are fighting for his freedom.

Also allow me to repeat Andrei’s words, how moving the ceremony that took place this morning was when we visited and laid wreaths in the hero’s alley. A loud reminder that this war has an impact on the people of Ukraine every day. And every day people die by fighting for their country’s independence, something we should never forget.

Let me again express the solidarity of my country to the Ukrainian people, who are again suffering from large -scale attacks with Russian rockets and drones against civilians. These attacks, and I believe that we must repeat it at every opportunity, are grossly violating international humanitarian law. From the beginning we have made it clear that you have the inherent right to defend yourself against Russian aggression.

And Greece will continue to support Ukraine, as we have done from the beginning, diplomatic, political, economic, military, humanitarian. Anything we can do to work in the direction of ending this disaster and misery of your country. It is up to you, only Ukraine must and will decide to accept or reject any peace formula. And I think you have proven very clearly that your intentions are truly honest, unlike those on the other side.

And of course, at the moment we should all work for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a fair and sustainable peace. We will continue to put more pressure on Russia, to support packages of additional sanctions, and of course to point out, as was done by my colleagues, that this war is not just Russia and Ukraine. It concerns the international class based on rules, not to be rewarded by the attacker with the acceptance of an arrangement that essentially justifies these aggressive behaviors.

Let me make a brief reference to the future and the importance of Odessa as a city that highlights future reconstruction and connectivity projects, because we have to think about the future, not just the present. I would envision Odessa at an end of an ambitious overall connectivity project that would start from the port of Alexandroupolis and pass through Varna, Kostanza and eventually arrive at Odessa.

This is a project that could be proposed for EU funding. It would include transport, rail, electricity, gas, pipelines and would be a project that would provide an additional connectivity corridor for Ukraine, much faster than the maritime transport of your goods. And it would also be a clear message about how your accession to the European Union could make a real difference to the people of Ukraine.

Let me say by closing, since we are all concentrated here, neighbors and friends from the Western Balkans, that Greece will continue to be one of the most ardent and stable supporters of the expansion process and European integration. We will always be ready to do what we do by providing any know -how, dear Volodymyr, or technical support for the harmonization of candidates to join the EU.

Thank you very much again for the initiative to host us in this wonderful and historic city of Odessa. “

Then, the leaders of the countries attending the meeting gave a joint press conference. Answering a question about European defense cooperation, EU funding programs for defense and participation of Ukraine and other third countries, the Prime Minister noted:

“Thank you for the question. I believe that there is a broad understanding in Europe and certainly in the European Council that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a violent geopolitical awakening, a need to take control of our safety and an urgent need to spend more on European defense collectively. I do not think I will exaggerate if I say that before the war in Ukraine we were almost sleeping towards military insignificance, if you look at how much we were spending collectively on defense.

Now we have a new initiative on the part of the European Union, the Rearm Initiative, which essentially has two components. It enables us to spend more at national level by activating the national escape clause, without affecting the limits of increasing our expenditure. And of course, there is also the SAFE mechanism, which provides loans for investment in European defense, but also promotes cooperation and partnership with other countries, in particular with countries that are candidates for accession to the European Union.

We see Ukraine as a powerful partner in building our future European security infrastructure. It is no secret that Ukraine has developed enormous potential through this very cruel and bloody war. And I believe that there will be significant opportunities for further cooperation between Member States and Ukraine in the field of defense, in addition to supporting Ukraine in the short term in order to help help in its defense.

As for Safe and other candidate countries or other countries that could participate in it, I find it obvious that anyone who would like to have access to European funding would at least need to be in some alignment with the EU’s common foreign security policy. Because, at the end of the day, it is a new European and European tool for a new tool. Security architecture. “

At the meeting, the prime minister had a private meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while earlier visited Shevchenko Park with other leaders and laid a wreath on the hero’s alley.