PM Mitsotakis: Our duty is to ensure any drop in oil prices will benefit consumers at the pump

Greece welcomes the conclusion of the agreement between the United States and Iran, as well as any initiative that contributes to de-escalating tensions in the region, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in doorstep remarks upon his arrival in Brussels for the two-day European Council summit on Thursday.

“We have always supported a diplomatic resolution to such issues,” Mitsotakis said. “Right now, the highest priority is the complete restoration of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and we are naturally also monitoring closely oil and natural gas prices.” The Greek state’s duty is to ensure that any drop in crude oil prices is passed on directly to consumers through lower diesel and petrol prices at the pump, benefiting all Greek consumers, he added.

Referring to the European Council’s agenda, which includes the EU’s long-term budget for 2028-2030, the Greek premier said, “I have often said that the ambitious goals we have set require correspondingly ambitious funding tools. Greece and many other countries will be fighting to safeguard the core of two basic European funding tools, namely the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy.” In addition, he noted, Greece will advocate for ensuring that the new Competitiveness Fund, which will support European businesses in global competition, “is allocated fairly, so that it does not contribute to further economic disparities between strong and weaker economies.”

Mitsotakis welcomed the higher budget for migration, but said that Greece “will continue to fight to convince our partners that joint funding tools are required to manage the major challenges posed by defence. Defence is a common European good, it should be dealt with as such, and therefore this objective would be better served by adding to national capabilities a significant European funding tool as well.”

amna.gr