‘The attack on oil facilities in the Gulf has the potential to drive energy prices to levels that could have dramatic consequences for the global economy. It is absolutely necessary at this time for reason to prevail and for attacks on energy infrastructure in the wider region to stop on both sides,’ he said.
He added: ‘Beyond that, however, as Europe we must be ready to face this crisis, with our first concern being the protection of European consumers, especially the most vulnerable among our fellow citizens, as well as European businesses, so that their competitiveness is not further undermined. The response at this level must be both national and European.’
Mitsotakis also said: ‘This crisis must under no circumstances lead Europe to face a new refugee crisis. The message here must be absolutely clear: Europe cannot tolerate a repeat of the 2015 crisis.’
Arriving at the summit, the prime minister said the European Council was meeting ‘at an extremely critical geopolitical juncture, with a major war affecting the Middle East region’, adding that the implications for the global economy were ‘obviously extremely serious’.
‘Let me make three observations. The first concerns the fact that this crisis has highlighted the need for the actual activation of the European Union’s mutual assistance clause. I am referring to Article 42.7,’ he said.
He added that Greece had been the first European country to move to support Cyprus when it came under attack, followed by many others.
‘However, I will openly raise this issue with the European Council and ask for a clear roadmap on how we can turn this essentially informal activation of Article 42.7 into an institutionally solid option that European countries will have in the event that they are attacked again.’
His second point, he said, concerned the economic and energy consequences of the crisis.
‘The attack on Gulf oil facilities has the potential to drive energy prices to levels that could have dramatic consequences for the global economy. It is absolutely necessary at this time for reason to prevail and for attacks on energy infrastructure in the wider region to stop on both sides.’
He said Greece, ‘within the framework of its fiscal capabilities’, would do everything possible to support Greek citizens and the Greek economy.
‘However, we will also need European responses if this crisis is prolonged and leads to sustained increases in the prices of both natural gas and fuel, and this will be the subject of the discussion we will have today.’
His third point, he said, was that the crisis ‘must under no circumstances lead Europe to face a new refugee crisis’.
‘Here the message must be absolutely clear: Europe cannot tolerate a repeat of the 2015 crisis. We are not at that point, but we must be ready for all eventualities.’
‘A clear message must therefore come from this European Council that Europe will protect its external borders and will not repeat the mistakes of the past,’ Mitsotakis concluded.
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