ATHENS, Oct 30 (NNN-XINHUA) – Welcoming outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on her last official visit here yesterday, Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that, she was “the voice of reason and stability.”
“She may have been unfair at times but decisive nevertheless, like in 2015, when she refused to see Greece expelled from Europe,” Mitsotakis said, during their joint press conference.
Mitsotakis said that Greece was a very different country to the one Merkel first visited roughly a decade ago.
“Greece is no longer a source of deficits. It’s a modern state,” Mitsotakis said.
He recalled the most important milestones in Greece’s ties with Germany and the European Union (EU), and recognised Merkel’s “courageous” support for the recovery fund, to assist the EU in its battle against COVID-19.
Mitsotakis said, Europe and Greece were tested by mistaken decisions that came back to bite them under the guise of populism and demagogy, but “EU solidarity and true patriotism were ultimately victorious.”
The financial crisis in Greece weighed heavy on Merkel’s 16-year tenure as chancellor and on Germany’s relationship with Europe. Germany was the largest single contributor to three successive international bailout packages Greece received between 2010 and 2018. But the rescue loans came with strings attached, as, tough austerity measures were imposed and there was strict supervision.
Merkel, who visited Greece as part of her “swan song” tour of Europe, before stepping down as chancellor, said that German-Greek relations have always been alive.
“I personally was fully aware of the excessive burden and the challenge that this meant for the people in Greece,” she said. “In the end, we managed to find a common path, to keep in step for Greece to remain a member of the EU.”
Turning to the migration challenge, Merkel said that the EU-Turkey pact showed that all actors can work together and share responsibilities, but there is still work to be done.
Touching upon Greece’s relations with Turkey, Merkel said that all countries should respect international law and the resolutions of the United Nations, adding that reaching solutions through dialogue is “significant but hard.”
The two leaders agreed that Greece’s problems with Turkey were also a problem for Europe, as exemplified by the migration issue.
Mitsotakis urged the EU to take a tougher line on Turkey. “It’s time for European principles to translate into European practice,” he said.
He confirmed that Greece wants to have good relations with its neighbours on the basis of international law but will not tolerate threats to its rights.
Earlier, Merkel met with Greek President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who also referred to the difficult years of the austerity and bailout agreements.
“There were moments of difficulty and tension, and it was an unprecedented situation both at European and institutional level and we often felt justifiably alone,” Sakellaropoulou noted.
Merkel reiterated that the two countries’ relations have experienced some ups and downs but were based on solid foundations.
“What gave us strength in this period was the fact that we always had the feeling that we belong together,” Merkel said.– NNN-XINHUA
