Impressive growth of over 7% for the current year and over 5% for the next year, ...is what Kyriakos Mitsotakis expects, as he revealed in an interview with the American newspaper *The Washington Post* and journalist Lally Weymouth. At the same time, he announced that he will visit the United States in the first half of 2022.
More specifically, in the interview published under the title «Greece was in deep trouble. How did it right the ship,», Kyriakos Mitsotakis points out that his goal is for Greece to become the eurozone’s success story. «Unemployment is falling, and young Greeks are returning to the country for the first time,» he emphasizes.
When asked about investments and the interest shown by companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Tesla, the Prime Minister replied that «All the major tech companies are now turning their attention to Greece. The main reason they are doing so is because of our human capital.».
When asked about the Eurozone’s strict fiscal rules and debt, the Prime Minister noted that these rules did not apply during the pandemic, a fact that allowed for «the allocation of significant resources to bolster the economies.».
He adds that In Greece, unemployment fell during the pandemic and emphasizes that the original rules were overly rigid. «They placed a very heavy burden on countries with higher debt. My view is that the country must grow. The more the economy grows, the better our fiscal position will be,» says Kyriakos Mitsotakis, adding that growth is the solution to the debt problem and that Greece «will be able to generate a primary surplus starting in 2023.».
Speaking about the course of the pandemic in Greece and Europe, the Prime Minister notes: «We are now seeing a surge, but we will most likely see it peak by mid-December. If you look at our performance since the start of the pandemic, We fared better than most European countries, which came as a surprise given that We had a relatively underfunded healthcare system. »As of today, 90% of the patients in the ICU are unvaccinated.".
Kyriakos Mitsotakis discusses the emphasis being placed on third-dose vaccinations, and the fact that the certificate allowing vaccinated individuals over 60 to enter indoor venues expires seven months after issuance, adding: «The vaccination rate among the adult population is 73%. We want to reach 80%.».
When asked by journalist Lally Weymouth what might happen «if Turkey were to stop its aggressive behavior in the Aegean,» the Prime Minister replied: «If Turkey continues its aggressive behavior, there may be consequences for Turkey itself—sanctions from the EU". On the other hand, if Turkey stops its aggressive behavior in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean, »There is room for us to sit down at the table and resolve our differences.".
On the issue of migration, the Prime Minister begins by stating that «we must agree that no country has the right to exploit migrants.» He points out that «Greece's borders are also Europe's borders» and explains that «if we allow uncontrolled flows of migrants into Europe, we will see a repeat of 2015, and that will be the day the Schengen Agreement collapses, because everyone will start imposing internal restrictions on the movement of people within Europe.».
Responding to a question about media reports accusing Greece of turning away refugees attempting to cross its borders, the Prime Minister pointed out the hypocrisy of those who «point the finger at Greece, yet do not point the finger at Turkey, a country involved in flagrant human rights violations.».
Speaking of the Agreement on Mutual Defense Cooperation with the United States, Kyriakos Mitsotakis expresses Greece’s satisfaction and emphasizes the importance of the new U.S. bases, such as «the port of Alexandroupoli, located in northeastern Greece, very close to Turkey.”. »It will serve as the natural entry point for U.S. or NATO troops into the Eastern European region.".
«Do you plan to make an official visit to the United States?» the reporter asks, receiving the following response from the Prime Minister: «I believe I will be able to visit the U.S. during the first half of 2022.". »President Biden is someone who knows our region very well and is very close to the Greek-American community.".
