Mitsotakis does not rule out "migration pressure on Greece"

Borders must not be violated and terrorist acts must be met with a response, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a joint statement with his Estonian counterpart Kaia Kallas on Tuesday in Athens.

He did not rule out the possibility of migration pressure on the borders of Greece, since it is a country located on the southeastern border of Europe, through which migrants and refugees from Asian and African countries most often travel.

Mitsotakis called immigration a common problem and a particular threat in the new crisis in the Middle East. “Greece is a country that welcomes immigrants from war-torn areas and it is possible that it will face new pressure on its borders,” he stressed, adding that the new pact EU on immigration issues is a step in the right direction.

“Unfortunately, and we know this well in our own region, they are fueling tensions across a wide arc of the world map with multiple and parallel consequences – from undermining security and the global economy to a resurgence in migration. Our position is categorical. Borders cannot be violated, but terrorist “activities cannot go unanswered. In such cases, the same distances favor aggression and authoritarianism,” he said.

He confirmed that Greece supports Israel: “As allies, we have a common attitude towards international challenges and dramatic events in the Middle East. Our governments condemn the bloody terrorist attack on Israel, the kidnapping and murder of civilians. We recognize Israel’s right to self-defense and are committed to restoration of peace. These events undermine a just solution, violating the sovereignty of an independent state.”

PS People from war-torn countries are “refugees”, not “immigrants”. However, for European politicians, if Syrians flee from Assad, they are refugees; if Palestinians flee from Netanyahu, they are migrants.

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