Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed the EU's support for the Polish partners who defended the Union's eastern borders against an open violation of their airspace, after his meeting on Monday with the President of the European Council Antonio Costa.

"As members of a strong Europe that does not give in to revisionism, we must also demonstrate on the ground that no violation of sovereignty and sovereign rights can be tolerated. For the Ukrainian issue, we express our support for the understanding between the EU and the US to end the war and start peace talks. A discussion with the participation of Ukraine and based on the fundamental provisions of international law, the inviolability of borders and with the necessary security guarantees," the prime minister stressed.

Mitsotakis noted that they discussed with the President of the European Council developments in the wider region, in the Middle East.

"We actively support the efforts for negotiating a ceasefire. They are being made by America, Qatar and Egypt. We are concerned after the impermissible violation of Qatar's territorial sovereignty and I underlined this to the Emir. I stressed that any escalation in Gaza must be avoided. Greece has long been offering significant humanitarian aid, including humanitarian material," the prime minister underlined.

He said that they also discussed joint defence and the perspective that Greece supports, believing in the concept of the Union's strategic autonomy.

"In light of the recent events in Polish airspace, I reiterate the need for a common European financial instrument for defence purchases of common European interest, such as missile defence. I believe that the time is right for this discussion to take place and we will hold it in the next discussions of the European Council. Regarding the participation of third countries in the new EU defence initiative, our position is clear. Countries that threaten EU countries with war cannot participate in the European defence architecture," stressed Mitsotakis.

The prime minister said that they also talked about migration, an issue that - he said - has consequences for society, the economy and the security of the whole of Europe.

"After a period of calm, we have had significant arrivals in the last 48 hours in Crete. This reaffirms the need for more coordinated protection of the EU’s external borders in order to deal more effectively with the networks of smugglers," he added.

Regarding the next multi-annual budget, Mitsotakis said that Greece is coming with a plan and clear goals, as well as a positive attitude towards the Commission's proposals. He noted that it will be a difficult discussion and welcomed the will to complete this by the end of 2026 at the latest.

Talking about the competitiveness of the EU, the prime minister stressed that Greece places emphasis on the creation of a real common energy market, which will mean similar energy prices for all member-states. In this regard, he said that there is a lot of work to do, a need to invest in the necessary interconnections and for energy flows from cheaper countries to those that need it most.

"We express the hope that the obstacles will be temporary and the bonds we forge will be permanent. Our commitment is to a strong Europe that will serve all Europeans," he added.

Responding to a question about competitiveness and the Draghi report, Mitsotakis said that European leaders mostly expressed positive views about Draghi's bold proposals to bridge the competitiveness gap, especially with the US.

"At that time, some expressed reservations about the possibility of translating the recommendations into practical policies. We have not taken enough steps in this direction. I am sure that the President of the European Council shares this feeling," he said.

He added: "We welcome the European Commission’s initiative to simplify and reduce bureaucracy. However, there are delays. In the common energy policy, some steps have been taken, but we have not yet concluded how we will supervise the single European energy market, nor how we will finance the necessary interconnections. We have been discussing the issues of the banking union for 10 years. Substantial progress has not yet been made. Greece is proving in practice that it is not afraid of foreign banks investing in Greek ones. I cannot say the same for all European countries."