Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at a press conference after the NATO Summit in The Hague, stressed that Greece strengthens its armed forces. He also emphasised that defence spending will serve as a significant catalyst for development, with the goal of establishing a strong defence ecosystem in Greece.

The Greek premier said that on the sidelines of the summit, he had a conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “ We raised the issues that we had to discuss, and we are waiting to find a date for the Greece-Türkiye High Cooperation Council,” Mitsotakis said.

Asked whether Athens is concerned by the rapprochement between Türkiye and the US, Mitsotakis noted that “ Greece does not redefine itself” and clarified that “ it is a mistake at such important summits to deal only with Greek-Turkish relations.”
Regarding his intervention at NATO, he commented on developments in the wider Middle East region. On the Israel-Iran conflict, he stressed the need for the parties involved not only to negotiate but also to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal.

He also condemned the recent terrorist attack on a Christian church in Damascus. Referring to the NATO Summit's decision to increase defence spending, Mitsotakis said that all member states should contribute to the Alliance. He recalled that, during Greece's economic difficulties, several countries were quick to criticise, despite Greece spending 2% of its GDP on defence while those nations allocated only 1%. He emphasised that Greece is fulfilling its obligations to the Alliance and to its citizens. “ Our aim is not to spend money that will go to partners abroad but to develop a domestic defence industry ecosystem," he noted.

On the Turcolibyan memorandum he stressed that is unacceptable, illegal and unsubstantiated. He also said that Athens will request this position to be included in the conclusions of the upcoming EU Summit, which starts on Thursday in Brussels.

On the increase in migratory flows from Libya to Crete Island, he noted that specific measures have been taken and that he contacted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He also said that Greece will deploy navy ships outside Libya’s territorial waters and will request the cooperation of the Libyan authorities to prevent migrant boats from departing or, if they do set sail, to ensure they are returned while still within Libya’s territorial waters.