It is necessary to decouple gas prices from electricity prices, and that is why we need European support, repeated the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in a meeting he had at the Maximos Palace with the President of the European Investment Bank, Werner Hoyer. .
“If that does not happen, it will we must rely on our national resources, something that will, of course, burden our budgets. “But if we do not reach an agreement, it will be a European failure,” he said, adding that ” energy costs.
Mr Hoyer briefed Mr Mitsotakis on the European Investment Bank’s emergency “Solidarity Package for Ukraine” and confirmed that the EIB is ready to provide additional funding to reduce the effects of the war in Greece.
The whole dialogue:
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: It is my pleasure to welcome you once again in Greece. I would like to thank you and the European Investment Bank for the continuous support you have provided to the country and the Greek economy, on its way to a sustainable recovery. Of course, as we have had the opportunity to discuss, we are now facing major historical challenges with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as significant economic implications.
Our main concern – as we enter a period of intense debate at European level – is how we will support households and businesses to cope with rising energy prices, especially electricity. Our views on this issue are very specific. Must decoup gas prices from electricity prices and to do that we need European support.
If this does not happen, we will have to rely on our national resources, which will, of course, burden our budgets. But if we do not reach an agreement, it will be a European failure. Because right now, as you can see, in elections in Europe, some forces of populism are being reinforced by the dissatisfaction of the people with the cost of living. And these are real and reasonable concerns. I therefore believe that it is time for Europe to rise to the occasion, as we did with the Recovery and Resilience Fund, and to move forward with a solution.
And there are options. We can discuss them in more detail. There are options on the table. Firstly, we need a political commitment that we will tackle the problem at European level and that we will not simply leave the Member States alone to face the consequences. Thank you again for being here and for all your support.
Werner Hoyer: I would like to thank you for the very warm welcome you gave us. It’s my pleasure to be back in Greece, not only because the temperature is about 20 degrees higher than in Luxembourg – while it is much brighter – but also because we have some good stories to tell.
More specifically, this year, 2021, under these terrible, terribly difficult conditions, was one of the best years for the EIB in Greece. And Greece’s corresponding experience with the Bank was probably good. We have long-term goals. There is no doubt about it. There is an issue of course. That a short-term problem does not need a long-term financier. And we offer that. We must, therefore, find solutions, creative solutions, smart solutions, so that we can help.
Mr Hoyer also briefed the Prime Minister on the European Investment Bank’s emergency “Solidarity Package for Ukraine” and confirmed that the EIB was ready to provide additional funding to reduce the effects of the war in Greece.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Development and Investment Giannis Tsakiris and the Head of the Financial Office of the Prime Minister Alexis Patelis.
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