PM Mitsotakis: Greece is an irreplaceable U.S. partner, it maintains its qualitative edge in defence

PM Mitsotakis: Greece is an irreplaceable U.S. partner, it maintains its qualitative edge in defence

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking to SKAI 100.3 radio on Friday, described U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Greece as having a positive impact, noting that it took place within the framework of the institutionalised Greece-US Strategic Dialogue.**

Mitsotakis reaffirmed the excellent state of bilateral relations, which now extend beyond defence and political diplomacy to energy, connectivity and investment.

Rubio highlighted Greece’s role as an irreplaceable partner in the eastern Mediterranean, while his speech at the Pnyx, with the Acropolis in the background, reflected, according to the prime minister, Greece’s soft power and the legacy of classical Greece as a foundation of Western civilisation.

On defence, Mitsotakis reiterated that Greece’s priority was to maintain a strategic qualitative edge, citing the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets, the upgrade of F-16s, the Belharra frigate and the “Achilles Shield” air defence system.

Greece, he added, also serves as a bridge to the Middle East, the Gulf and India, occupying a key position in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which also encompasses electricity interconnection projects.

On Israel, the prime minister clarified that Greece’s strategic relationship is with the state itself and not necessarily with whichever government is in power. He cited the “Achilles Shield” system as a tangible benefit of the partnership, noting that Greece would own its source code.

He stressed that the relationship had neither harmed Greece’s ties with the Arab world and the Palestinian Authority nor prevented Athens from criticising the Israeli government, particularly over the West Bank.

Regarding the electricity cable, Mitsotakis said the United States supports interconnection projects but stressed that the project had been European from the outset, with more than € 600 million in EU funding and French company Meridian now holding a majority stake.

More broadly, on foreign policy, he highlighted Greece’s alliance with the United States, its membership of the EU and NATO, and its relations with the Arab world, India and Israel.

Turning to the Vertical Gas Corridor, Mitsotakis said it was already operational and was making Greece a provider of energy security for the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Chevron’s presence south of Crete, he added, constituted recognition of Greece’s sovereign rights. He also announced that Exxon would conduct its first exploratory drilling operation west of Corfu in the second quarter of 2027.

On the economy, the prime minister described a clash between two priorities in Europe: sending the right signals to financial markets and supporting society. He expressed confidence that additional support would be secured, although he did not expect anything dramatic.

He described the reduction in public debt as perhaps the greatest achievement of his government’s economic policy. He also highlighted the exemption from income tax for young people aged up to 25 earning up to € 20,000.

Mitsotakis also referred to the inauguration of Hellas Gold’s investment at Skouries, which, he said, had overcome numerous obstacles.

Finally, he said he wanted to complete his government’s work and would not accept the country entering a prolonged pre-election period. He added that he had asked ministers to provide specific timetables for the next six months.

Source: ANA-MPA