Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis opened his address in parliament on Wednesday with a reference to the dramatic developments unfolding in Iran, the Middle East and the wider region, during the debate on the interior ministry’s draft law on postal voting for Greeks abroad.
“These are war-related events of great scale and intensity, which are simultaneously triggering unforeseeable economic repercussions, unfortunately confirming the assessment that the map of global geopolitical balances is constantly shifting and that the only certainty is international uncertainty,” he noted.
He stressed that, in this highly complex environment, Greece’s position is clear. “We support the de-escalation of active conflicts and a return to diplomacy with full respect for international law, with particular emphasis on the freedom and security of global navigation. This is a position we also immediately expressed at the United Nations Security Council. At the same time, the ‘day after’ in Iran must guarantee the freedom and self-determination of its people, who have been oppressed for decades. This must go hand in hand with full control of both its nuclear and ballistic programs, so that Iran ceases to pose a constant threat to regional and international peace,” he added.
He added that “from the very beginning, the country was placed on both diplomatic and defense alert.” The prime minister noted that the Crisis Management Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was activated, multiple phone lines were established in all the states involved, platforms were created in all states in the area for repatriation requests, and there was also a special plan for the organized return, with the responsibility of the state, of those who wish to return as soon as the safety of flights can be ensured and airspace reopens.
Mitsotakis asked the citizens who remain trapped in the Gulf countries to be patient, show understanding and take care, first and foremost, to protect their personal safety, adding, that the Greek state will ensure, when conditions allow, their safe return to the country.
“Our attention, of course, is also focused on Cyprus,” he stressed, “which constitutes an arm of Hellenism and unfortunately is much closer than Greece to the war zone.”
The prime minister also mentioned that after communication with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, the Greek state sent to Cyprus the pride of the Greek fleet, the frigate “Kimon”, the frigate “Psarra” and four F16 Viper aircraft. “Greece is present, with responsibility and strength, wherever national duty calls,” he underlined. “And it places its upgraded armed forces at the service of Hellenism everywhere. This mission of ours is a defensive and peaceful mission. It is carried out on the basis of both bilateral and European solidarity and with only one goal: to prevent threatening actions against the independent state of Cyprus. This has its own special significance, because it demonstrates in practice how we perceive the strengthening of our country and especially of our armed forces in recent years, as well as our diplomatic reach”, he noted.
“Obviously, all these developments also affect the international economy, European bonds, energy prices, which is why the competent ministries are ready to modify their actions, if necessary. And we are already examining preventive measures to absorb any negative impact of the crisis on the economy as much as possible,” the prime minister said.
“We should consider possible fuel increases a given. However, reasonable increases – due to the rising cost of raw materials – are one thing and unbridled speculation is another. Which is why, if necessary, special measures will be taken to control any excessive price increases,” he added.
He said all this should be contemplated by those those who he said “made it their job to worry, sometimes about the responsible position of the country, other times about international law,” urging them to “finally realize that foreign and defense policy is exercised with ideological but with national criteria.”
The prime minister underlined that the bill on giving expatriate Greeks a postal vote being discussed in Parliament is an opportunity to offer a first sample of responsibility and national unity. He stressed that, with this bill, “we are expanding the scope of our democracy, broadening civic participation to even more of our fellow citizens.” He spoke of a reform that goes beyond the narrow limits of electoral cycles and, above all, grants all Greeks the same rights, regardless of where they live.
Mitsotakis made two remarks during his rejoinder in parliament on Wednesday. First, he expressed his satisfaction with the unanimous agreement of the opposition regarding the condemnation of Golden Dawn, a traumatic period for parliamentary events, as he said, adding that it was the result of initiatives taken by the New Democracy government.
The second remark concerned a response to the criticism of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece(KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, regarding the initiative for a Greek military presence in Cyprus. The prime minister emphasized that Greece provides defence support to Cyprus and not to the British bases located there.
Addressing Koutsoumbas, he said that he would expect greater responsibility when, for the first time after decades, Greece is actively assisting Cyprus in a very difficult geopolitical situation.
