Marinakis: Reports talking of “failure” in the meeting between Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Emmanuel Macron in Paris are unfounded

Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis, in an interview with SKAI radio on Tuesday, stated that the reports talking of “failure” in the meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris are unfounded.

“The meeting went well. These analyses – which I think have been done constantly in recent years and aim to ‘cut Greece down to size’, even though it has grown taller than in any other period of time- are not based on reality,” he said.

The government spokesperson noted that the meeting confirmed that Greece has improved its position at the defence level and pointed out that our country has been upgraded compared to previous years. “We cannot redefine our tactics, our policy, the policy of shielding ourselves defensively, based on agreements concluded between other states”, he underlined.

At the same time, he referred to the need to exclude defence spending from the budgetary targets and to create a single European defence fund of 100 billion euros.

He explained that this would allow for greater defensive shielding and save resources for other needs. “The electoral processes and political developments in Europe are certainly an important factor but Europe and its states also have continuity. From the statements made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa and now by a series of leaders, about a proposal, which – I say it again – was almost utopian when the Greek prime minister along with a few other European leaders first put it forward, it seems that its implementation is becoming necessary,” he noted.

On the Tempi train collision, Marinakis reiterated that every citizens demands justice without exceptions. He denounced the use of the tragedy by the opposition for political gain. “Specific political parties and unfortunately also (main opposition) PASOK are instrumentalising the pain of desperate people and society’s anguish for their political survival,” he said.

Source: ANA – MPA