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Good morning Kallmer. Good morning.

It is a special pleasure for me to welcome

the President of the European Council in Athens today.

This visitor, my dear Antonio,

as part of your tour de Capital.

Reflects in my view, your commitment for a better coordination of all the partners, especially in the current fluid general framework global framework,

and in view of the issues that will be

debated during this 6 months at the European Council.

Let me start by Expressing our support to our Polish partners who have recently defended the eastern borders of the EU against a blatant violation

of their airspace as members of an EU member state of the

European Union that does not give in to revisionism,

we agree that no.

Violation of our sovereign rights and sovereign area can take place as regards Ukraine, one of our top priorities,

we also want to express our support to this consultation between the

EU and the US in view of ending the war,

debate, discussion.

That needs to take place of course with the participation of Ukraine and with full respect for the inviolability of borders and certainly with in compliance

with the necessary security guarantees and as we said that the most important,

the most important strong deterrence capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces we all.

Discussed the recent developments in the Middle East where we support the negotiating efforts in view of a ceasefire which are made by the US,

Qatar, and Egypt,

but we are quite concerned with the unacceptable violation of Qatar's sovereign violation sovereign of this. Violation of the territory. I'm sorry.

This is something that I have personally said to the Emir himself,

and we said that we should also avoid any further escalation in Gaza,

thus deteriorating the already dramatic civilian situation.

Let me remind you that Greece has been providing.

Important humanitarian aid through the international organizations in the region.

Only during the beginning of August, the Greek air force has dropped 8.5 tons of

basic foodstuffs where we are always in favor of the two-state solution with the president.

We have also discussed our joint defense prospect that Greece. Supports living in this country.

We believe that we should have a joint fund that will be able to help or to fund joint purchases,

for instance, the joint anti air defense.

This is something that we will be able to conclude as

regards now the participation of third countries in this EU defense. Effort.

Our position is absolutely clear in the European defense architecture.

There is no place for the participation of third

countries that threaten the EU member states even with war.

They need to build good relations with Europe.

This means that they should also respect its values.

We have also discussed the migration issues that That affects both society and the

economy as well as the security of this country and the rest of Europe.

The increase of illegal arrivals from eastern Libya in the islands of Creta and G,

the recent increase of arrivals on the island of Crete confirms in my view,

our position that we need a further coordinated effort for the protection of the.

External borders of the European Union so that we can really and effectively protect the and fight fight these networks of traffickers who exploit human distress,

and I think that the European Union should provide every possible support to the frontline states.

We have also Discussed the multiannual budget that is about to be implemented.

Greece has its own plans and clear clear objectives.

We need to put to better use, to good use our growth potential.

We need to strengthen the agricultural economy and convergence.

This should not go against specific member states.

This is going to be a difficult debate.

Last time, let me remind you, we needed 5 days in order to come to an agreement,

but I welcome the wish of the President Costa that this debate should be finalized by the end of 2026,

and of course we are.

Strengthening competitiveness and cohesion, and we want a European energy union

which will help with the prices of energy prices in Europe.

Some things were done during the summer, but I believe that much remains to be done in

order to see energy flowing from the lower cost countries to those who need it most,

the most.

So my dear Antonio, let me conclude that by wishing that the hurdles that we are dealing with should only be temporary and

that our bonds that we are forging should withstand the test of

time and things can be better for all European women and men. Discussions.

Prime Minister, the Kakos, first of all, I would like to thank you.

You are not only warm but friendly. Welcome to Athens.

These visits are very important not only for me but also to the to the European Union because first

of all it's important to bring the European institutions

closer to their citizens to engage with all the leaders.

Because we are a union on diversity and all the voices, all the leaders, all the member states,

matters and we need to work with all of you

to build our unity because our unity is our strength.

Then thank you very much for this opportunity.

I use this opportunity to commend very warming.

What Greece have done over the last decade,

it's very impressive how you manage to recover and to reach a very sound macroeconomic fundamentals. This is very impressive.

Now we have clearly two priorities competitiveness and security, but nothing is possible to do without sound macroeconomic fundamentals, and what we have done,

it's very, very impressive and then thank you because

it's very important for Europe and for the Euro zone.

We focus now on these two main priorities, security and competitiveness,

and both are very interlinked because we cannot.

Provide confidence to investors and to boost our economy without security, and it's very difficult to sustain what we need to invest on security and defense without

a stronger economy and for this when you talk about security,

of course our first idea comes to the eastern border and the threat coming from Russia.

But we cannot never forget that we need to have a 360 degree approach on our security,

and of course Russia is a clear strength.

This invasion of our airspace in Poland and in Romania is very, is the closest examples, but We have other borders and then

we need to protect our borders from Cyprus to Finland,

from Portugal to Romania, and for this,

it's very important to work together.

And we are here to say that of course we need to improve our border management to face migration,

illegal migration, to fight smugglers and of human beings,

and we need to have a strong European political migration policy.

And secondly, to say that I fully agree with the Prime Minister Mitsotakis when he said if you want to

have an effective European defense we need to have common

capabilities and for common capabilities we need to have common funding.

The European Commission made a very important step with the SAFE program,

but we need to continue on this in this path because

we need to do more and we need to do together.

The member states, at least 23 out of 27 our member states are NATO allies,

and in NATO agreed to increase significantly the military expenditure,

but this is not only about spends more,

it's also about spent better.

And to spend better we need to assure that we have not only interoperability, not only joint procurement, but also common goods funding by common funds,

and this is very important to have a rational approach on this huge effort

and to sustain this we need to have a stronger economy, an economy will produce.

Allow our companies to scale up and to create better jobs and more jobs and for this we need to use this investment

also to improve our defense industry and for sure this is a great opportunity and to develop common projects,

flagship projects to improve our.

Competitiveness also in this in this in this domain.

Finally, Greece is in the very geostrategic very important geostrategic position.

Is the bridge between Europe and the Middle East.

And for this it's very important what's happening in the region and we cannot forget that what's happening in the Middle East is challenging for Europe for our peace,

our stability, the capacity that we have to manage migration flows,

and for this we need to be very engaged in the region asking for.

Immediate ceasefire in Gaza to stop illegal settlements in the West Banks to create conditions for effective two-state solution become possible,

but also looking for our Partnership with Egypt, with Egypt,

and also to look at the situation in Syria and in Libya.

Then for this is one of the great advantage

of our union is we are 27 with different regional.

Approach with different regional points to look at the world and at different regions to engage with our neighbors in the east,

in the north, and in the south.

Thank you very much, Kyriakos,

for this opportunity to work once again directly with you here in Athens. Thank you. Thank you. Helmut Werner thank you very much. We will accept two, questions. Mr.

Gianni Agnelli, please, state whom you are asking.

Saying that Europe must wrap up its own defense capabilities and gain its dependence.

Do you believe that by 2030 this goal will be indeed accomplished and beyond the current financial tools provided by the commission,

do you believe that the option of joint borrowing will be on the table at some point soon? It's very interesting. Because 4 years ago. Nobody talks about Europe of defense.

I remember very well in the first day of the full scale invasion of Ukraine.

We met in the evening in Brussels.

And the discussion if we is is to know

if you could send non lethal military equipment to Ukraine. It was 3 years ago.

Now we are supporting Ukraine politically, financially, diplomatically, and military.

And now everybody talks again of the Europe of defense and what we have done.

Over the last 3 years it's very impressive.

Last week commission published how they share this €150

billion program on loans to the different member states. It's a huge program.

And this program is enough to ensure to cover if it's full used to allow the

different member states to accomplish their commitment and the NATO targets,

but we need to do more.

And most important, we need to do together.

And for this, I think the next multiannual financial framework is

a key opportunity to decide what and how we need to fund.

We have at least Among the 23 NATO allies who are members of the European Union,

the same defense planning that we know very well what we need.

And where we need to put to to deploy the different capabilities.

And with this purpose, if we have a common plan, if we have a common defense, we should have.

A common funding to to support this investment. Pa. Second question, Ms. Sophia Catsambi from Megaana. Good morning.

Prime Minister, in a few weeks' time you are going to take part in a European

Council meeting where the where the issues of

competitiveness will be discussed again after the Draghi report. Unfortunately, only a small part of.

Only 10 11% of its recommendations have been implemented by the member states.

So in your view, what does Europe need to do in

order to be competitive vis a vis the US and China? Do we need to run faster?

We have repeatedly discussed the Draghi report and the meta report at the European Council meetings.

Most of the prime ministers have been positive,

if not enthusiastic about the draghi proposals in view of

filling the competitiveness gap that we have with the United States.

But it is also correct that some of us had then pointed out that there

are some reservations as regards our ability to implement and turn the recommendations to practical policies.

Not enough has been done in this direction.

I'm sure that the President of the European Council shares this feeling of. Time and delays.

For instance, we welcome the initiative by the President of the European Commission,

the omnibus legislation as regards the deregulation or doing away with regulation.

We there are some delays, for instance, as regards the common energy policy, some.

Small steps have been taken as regards some working meetings with the on the issue,

but we have not concluded on the shaping of the common energy market

as well as its financing so as to assist the greatest possible number of.

Consumers, the issues of the savings and investment union have been are being discussed for the past 10 years,

and we have not yet made any progress.

Greece, let me point out, is one of the countries that has shown that it is not afraid of investments on behalf of foreign banks,

but this cannot be said for all EU member states.

Just 3 days ago I took part in a very Interesting public debate with one of the top scientists in the

field of AI with the participation of a number of

Greek startups which ask us to set up the famous 20.

7th state where we can use the power of the common market our union,

and this is not exploited to as much as it could be and Mr.

Draghi said something also very important that it is not a matter of ideas.

We need the means to fund it if we decide that we are going to limit our funding,

then we have to limit our ambition.

There is a gap between our ambition and the possibility to fund,

and let me take on from the point that the EU president concluded.

Of course it's clear to me that we need

a specific European funding instrument to fund joint defense.

A joint defense effort, a small next generation EU fund,

a small one just for the defense spending.

So the great challenge we are faced with the difficulty

we have to deal with is that to convince our colleagues.

Given the difficult situation, we need to make to take bolder steps. Mr.

Draghi has described this in his report.

It would be bad for Europe if this report

ends up in some drawer as an exercise on paper.

No microphone, no microphone.

How you Thank you.