British News Agency

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke about Europe's share of defense spending, the decisions taken in The Hague, Greece's defense objectives, as well as the Iran-U.S. ceasefire process and global economic risks.

Assessing the current global situation and the Alliance's policies, Mitsotakis said, "We are meeting at a time when geopolitical uncertainty is at its peak. Trump wanted an alliance in which Europe shared a greater burden. I have always supported strengthening the Alliance so that a strategic Europe can serve as an autonomous European pillar. Important decisions were taken in The Hague last year."

Referring to Greece's defense budget and past policies, Mitsotakis stated, "Today, we have decided on significant steps regarding defense spending. Greece has already achieved this year's 3.5 percent defense spending target earlier than planned. Even during the period of austerity, we continued to prioritize defense spending."

Commenting on developments in the Middle East and economic concerns, Mitsotakis said, "I am optimistic that the Iran-U.S. ceasefire will become permanent. We need to give diplomacy time. We do not want to face rising costs, and we do not want oil prices to increase."