Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis began his joint statements following his meeting on Wednesday with Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro at the Maximos Mansion by expressing his sincere condolences to the Portuguese people for the loss of Portuguese citizens and Venezuelan citizens of Portuguese descent in the earthquakes that struck Venezuela.
Although Greece and Portugal are located at opposite ends of Europe, in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic respectively, the two countries have far more that unites them than separates them, the Greek Prime Minister said.
“Our bilateral relations, as we had the opportunity to confirm today, are truly excellent, and there is still significant room for further strengthening both our economic and trade relations. There are also opportunities to enhance our cooperation in defence and create synergies in the defence industry, where Portugal has made very significant progress. These are areas in which we have agreed to work together, as the geopolitical reality requires us to build a stronger defence foundation,” Mitsotakis said.

He added that, as was made clear at the latest NATO summit, Europe must assume a much greater share of responsibility for its collective security.
“This means more investment, greater joint defence production and increased operational readiness. And, as we also had the opportunity to discuss at the European Council, it means putting into practice the activation of the Mutual Assistance Clause under Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union,” he said.

Mitsotakis also noted that he and Montenegro had discussed issues relating to civil protection.

“Our two countries have been on the front line of the climate crisis for years, a crisis that is now affecting the whole of Europe, not only the European South. Portugal was tested last year, and to some extent this year as well, by major wildfires and extreme weather events, the heavy toll of which, unfortunately, we in Greece know all too well,” the Prime Minister stressed.

“We therefore need to jointly develop greater capabilities for prevention, monitoring and rapid response. I have great faith in the European rescEU mechanism. Last year, we found ourselves supporting Portugal during extremely difficult wildfires. Tomorrow, we may need to ask for your assistance. The fact that we are able to move forward, for example, with joint procurement of new firefighting aircraft, is proof of how European solidarity can work in practice in the field of civil protection,” the Greek Prime Minister said.

He also said that “we also discussed migration, where we agree that the protection of external borders must go hand in hand with tackling the criminal activities of smuggling networks, with an effective returns policy, as well as with legal pathways that meet the real needs of member states.

There is no doubt that Europe today is facing a new reality,” Mitsotakis stressed. “It is called upon at the same time to strengthen its defence, accelerate the green and digital transitions, protect its external borders, and of course maintain and defend its competitiveness. All these challenges require corresponding funding, and we cannot move forward with a budget designed for yesterday’s needs. We need a bold approach that matches our ambitions, with tools suitable for investment in European public goods, defence, energy security and critical infrastructure”.

He further explained that “our position is simple: Europe cannot do more with less. If we want it to meet these new demands, we must secure the necessary resources, while at the same time maintaining strong – and I believe our position on this is shared and non-negotiable – pillars of cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy.

However, this discussion overlooks the fact that Europe’s strongest economies are the ones that benefit the most from the common market, from the single market. It is therefore fair that this is also reflected in decisions regarding the common European budget,” the Prime Minister said.

Montenegro: Greece and Portugal are examples of stability

On his part, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, said that there are common points between the two governments. Montenegro referred, to the participation of both countries in the UN Security Council and congratulated the Greek government on the country’s economic progress and stability in recent years.
“Portugal and Greece are examples when it comes to work. We are often distinguished as investment destinations. I would like to thank Prime Minister Mitsotakis for his friendship and cooperation,” the Portuguese Prime Minister said.
He also referred to Greeks travelling to Portugal for tourism and Portuguese visitors coming to Greece, stressing that this cooperation should be expanded across many sectors.
“We have been alongside Greece through Frontex since 2014. Greece represents Europe’s external borders. Prime Minister Mitsotakis highlighted our cooperation within Europe and across the Atlantic. We need greater cooperation, common goals and opportunities to create new jobs,” Montenegro said.
The Portuguese Prime Minister highlighted the vision of a Europe that cooperates economically, simplifies procedures and seeks to tackle bureaucracy.
“We are trying, through the European Parliament and the European Commission, to convey these messages. We need to secure the Multiannual Financial Framework. It is important to safeguard the cohesion instruments and the Common Agricultural Policy. This is the framework that rewards those who produce and establishes common goals, giving citizens the opportunity to fulfil their plans,” Montenegro stressed.
He also said it was important for Europe, NATO and Mediterranean countries, as well as other forums, to share the same values regarding diplomacy, ensuring freedom of navigation, the development of the global economy and the European values represented by Ukraine, which is a victim of Russian aggression.
“We can make use of Greece’s experience on the UN Security Council,” Montenegro said, while also referring to the successful economic performance of both countries.
Regarding the Multiannual Financial Framework, the Portuguese Prime Minister said: “We are willing to find a solution through which we could create our own sources of revenue in order to have a larger budget. There are taxpayers who contribute more, but the contribution of each country based on its capabilities is important. The effort of the South is greater and more substantial. Creating a common framework is important. We must cooperate in order to have a common economic framework for Europe.”
In response to another question about the period of the financial crisis, Montenegro said that the two countries had cooperated in order to reverse a difficult situation.
“The results are visible. We are countries with stability and we have reduced our debt. This has required a great effort from citizens and the state. We have given Europe a good example. Greece, Portugal and Spain came under great pressure, which pushed our economic capabilities to their limits,” he said.