The prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis He met with the Executive Vice President of the European Commission responsible for technological sovereignty, security and democracy, Henna Virkkunenat the Maximus Mansion.

During the meeting, issues of Ms Virkkunen’s portfolio were discussed, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence and European AI Factories, cyber security, EU reactionary reaction to misinformation campaigns, as well as the need to strengthen EU defense technology.

As to the strengthening of the common European defense, the Prime Minister reiterated the need for European funding for flagship programs of common interest in defense.

Greece’s strategy for the transition to artificial intelligence was also discussed, as well as the fact that our country was chosen for one of the first AI Factories in Europe (Pharos) to develop around the supercomputer “Daedalus”.

They also exchanged views on the protection of minors on the internet and discussing a common age limit for access to social media, as well as the initiatives Greece has taken in this direction.

Finally, our country’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act Regulation was discussed, given that in the coming weeks, after a relevant bill already in public consultation, Greece will be the third EU country which – in the following time to be recognized by its annual report.

At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister and the Executive Vice President of the European Commission had the following dialogue (informal translation from English):

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Dear Mrs Vice -President, we are very pleased to welcome you to Athens once again. We have a lot of issues to discuss. I think we would need a whole day to cover everything, but I understand that you already had very constructive discussions with our staff.

So we have a lot to say, such as efforts in innovation and simplification -I see how we can support your initiatives -issues related to the progress we have made about artificial intelligence infrastructure, where I believe we have made great progress.

Of course, one issue that is particularly concerned with, as you know, is the protection of minors in the digital age. I know that you have embraced some of our initiatives and I look forward to seeing how we can promote this issue, which, I can tell you, has sparked great interest from parents -among the other issues we will discuss.

Henna Virkkunen: Thank you very much. Good morning to everyone. Honorable Prime Minister, it is a great pleasure for me to be here today and we have already made very good contacts. Yesterday, we had a long meeting with the Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, Mr. Papastergiou. Today I had the opportunity to visit the Archimedes Research Unit. Yesterday, I visited Enisa, because cyber security is, of course, a very crucial issue for us, and it is positive to see that Greece is really a cyber -security hub for the European Union.

But first, of course, I would like to thank you and congratulate you on your leading role, because we know that during your rule Greece has experienced very difficult times and became stronger and durable. You have also always made sure that Greece is a powerful “player” in the European Union, but also to enjoy respecting worldwide.

Now we see that as a European Union we are truly confronted with very difficult times, the world order is under pressure and we see that the world struggle for critical technologies is very tough, which is also closely linked to our safety. Therefore, it is vital for the European Union to ensure that we have opportunities in critical technologies such as artificial intelligence and that we are able to defend ourselves. We must therefore become stronger in the field of security.

Greece is one of the countries that have always been investing in security and defense, and we believe that we must be prepared for various kinds of threats. Critical technologies play a very important role in this context.

I must say that I am also very impressed by the progress you have made in the development of capabilities in critical technologies in Greece, as well as the way you have digitized various public services and invested in this infrastructure, which makes feasible innovations in the public sector, research and start -ups. I look forward to continuing these discussions with you.