Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in a teleconference with the Executive Vice President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis on Friday, wished him a speedy recovery after Dombrovskis tested positive for Covid-19 and was unable to travel to Athens for their scheduled meeting.
"I am certain that we will have a productive discussion. He has a deep knowledge of the issues he is handling and I consider him a very good friend of Greece," Mitsotakis said, noting that the implementation of the national recovery plan was included in the agenda.
Following the disbursement of 4.0 billion euros in pre-financing to Greece, Dombrovskis announced the official approval for the disbursement of a 3.6-billion-euro payment requested by Greece as a first installment under the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF). "Major infrastructure and modernisation works will start in Greece in many sectors with emphasis on the green economy and the digital transition," Mitsotakis said, adding: "We will also have the opportunity to discuss the repercussions of the war in Ukraine, starting with the rapid rise in international energy prices and the inflationary pressure that threatens the recovery of the entire European economy. A single European strategy is crucial. No national budget can bear the burden triggered by the explosion in the energy market."
Consequently, he said, it was essential that the next EU Summit take measures, while he underlined the need for European solutions.
The prime minister also warned of the risk of a new resurgence of populism in Europe, fuelled by current day-to-day problems, saying that action must be taken to prevent this so it does not bar 'the path of truth, democracy, prosperity and rights."
Mitsotakis went on to refer to the government's actions to make Greece a gateway for energy sources to Europe, while noting that need for a revised EU Stability Pact that reflects the new economic and geopolitical situation after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
He also raised the issue of exempting defence spending from fiscal rules, given that the current situation calls for an increase in defence spending by many EU member-states.
On his part, Dombrovskis congratulated Greece and the team that prepared its plan.
"Greece is ready to create a strong economy and to pass to a greener and more innovative economy. The package that will be given to Greece is one the largest being given to EU member-states," he said, noting that it contributes to growth and energy independence.
"In this way, bills for households and enterprise in Greece will become lower. Reforms will be supported so that Greece becomes more competitive," Dombrovskis concluded.