Mitsotakis Touts Oil Drilling Deal, F-16 Delivery and Farm Subsidy Reforms in Wide-Ranging Address

Kyriakos Mitsotakis opened his play code Sunday with a idiosyncratic connection of enactment for a hospitalized elder adjutant earlier outlining a sweeping argumentation docket covering energy, defense, governance and integer regulation.

Mr. Mitsotakis said his adjacent and long-standing collaborator George Milonakis was intubated successful hospital.

"One of my closest associates is astatine this infinitesimal giving a precise large battle," helium said. "My thoughts, the thoughts of each of us, are with him and his family, with the privation that helium emerges victorious."

The premier curate past announced a landmark vigor statement betwixt ExxonMobil, Energean and HELLENiQ Energy for exploratory drilling successful the northwestern Ionian Sea — the archetypal specified enactment successful astir 50 years — describing it arsenic a important measurement toward reducing Greece's vigor dependence amid continued instability successful the Gulf region.

On defense, Mr. Mitsotakis confirmed the transportation of Greece's 50th upgraded F-16 Viper combatant jet, portion of a modernization programme cardinal to the country's NATO commitments and its effect to persistent tensions with Turkey.

Turning to governance, the premier curate defended his administration's handling of the OPEKEPE cultivation payments scandal, crediting the authorities with reforming what helium called a "deeply dysfunctional organization" and praising 11 New Democracy MPs who consented to waive parliamentary immunity arsenic grounds of organization accountability.

He cited OECD, Transparency International and European Commission indices to rebuff absorption claims of antiauthoritarian backsliding, arguing Greece remains classified among the world's afloat democracies.

Mr. Mitsotakis besides announced 13 caller large-scale concern plans worthy €320 cardinal expected to make 700 jobs, and the completion of a caller span successful Volos, rebuilt pursuing the devastating storms Daniel and Elias.

He closed with a informing against the normalization of online toxicity and anonymous smear campaigns, calling the nationalist targeting of individuals done baseless accusations profoundly damaging to civic life.