Greece will not accept any violation of its sovereign rights, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview published Sunday by Bild newspaper.
Mitsotakis also pointed out in the interview that it’s Turkey who is violating the Law of the Sea, not Greece. He was commenting on the Turkey-Libya memorandum of understanding – which has been widely condemned by the EU, US and the Libyan parliament among others – and he reiterated that it is “illegal and invalid”.
The premier was asked by Bild if he was concerned about an escalation on Turkey’s side that could lead to conflict in the Aegean, but he expressed confidence that “things will not get out of control.”
He strongly condemned the fact Greece had to bear the brunt of migrant and refugee inflows, and called for a reform of the Dublin Regulation rules on migration as they stand. He described as “unacceptable that Greece has to face the refugee issue by itself,” and called for a change in the Dublin system of migration, which places an undue burden on countries like Greece that are entry points to the EU. He pointed out that the European Commission had promised to create a new regulation and to ensure that the burden is shared among all member states.
In terms of the economy, the Greek premier pointed out that the Greek economic crisis will “finally end if Greece develops quickly.” He expressed the certainty that Greece would be able to repay its debts, and noted the favorable terms the country is now able to borrow under. “Who would have thought a few months ago that this would have been possible?” he said.
Source: ANA-MPA