Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was received by his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez in Madrid on Monday, with bilateral cooperation thoroughly discussed, as expected, although issues that arose in the subsequent press conference touched on everything from Greenland to Venezuela and Ukraine.
“It is with great pleasure that I am here in Madrid today, 13 years after the last official bilateral visit by a Greek prime minister to Spain. And my presence here, on one of my first trips of the new year, demonstrates, as Pedro said, a desire to further strengthen the very strong relations between our two countries,” Mitsotakis said at the beginning of his statements during a joint press briefing.

Referring to his meeting with Sanchez, Mitsotakis said he emphasized Greece’s contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s energy security through the so-called “vertical” energy corridors it is developing. In reference to the situation in the Middle East, he said “we exchanged views on current developments in the Middle East. We all remain committed to peace and stability in this sensitive region. We support the full implementation of the peace plan. We look forward to a swift transition to the second phase, and, at the same time, we consider that the disarmament of Hamas is a necessary condition for long-term security.”
In response to press questions about possible joint initiatives by southern European countries to have a stronger voice in the EU, he said that 15 years ago, the south was seen as the EU’s “sick man”, but that era is now irrevocably over, as southern EU countries are now leading the EU with high growth rates, debt reduction as a percentage of GDP and borrowing at lower interest rates than other member-states.
“Today, the southern countries, Spain and Greece, included, are leading Europe in terms of growth rates. However, they are doing so in a fiscally responsible manner, reducing their debt as a percentage of GDP and borrowing at lower interest rates than other countries that may have had a much stronger fiscal position”.

In terms of the now fluid situation in Venezuela, the Greek prime minister said:
“We also examined the latest developments in Venezuela. We share the view that the priority now is to de-escalate tensions and ensure a smooth transition to a new government with democratic legitimacy…”
Asked about the Trump administration’s stance regarding Greenland, Mitsotakis said that the future of the massive island concerns exclusively Greenland and Denmark. He also noted that Europe must be at the forefront of defending the national independence and the territorial integrity of its members.
At the same time, he expressed a belief that there are mutually beneficial solutions regarding security in the Arctic that could involve the US, NATO, and the EU in addressing a real problem such as Arctic security issues “without discussing solutions that violate international law.”
“I want to believe that common sense will prevail and we will arrive at mutually beneficial solutions,” he said, expressing a hope that the security architecture of Euro-Atlantic relations will not be jeopardized.
Greece and Spain are two countries in southern Europe that have been growing and recovering dynamically in recent years after a long period of crisis. And we share the same belief that growth must be socially just and translate into tangible benefits for citizens,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis also said.