The energy and the expansion of the “vertical corridor” were discussed in the meeting that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had this morning with the Prime Minister of Moldova, Dorin Recean, at Megaro Maximou.
The Prime Minister congratulated his Moldovan counterpart on the first Intergovernmental Conference of Moldova with the EU. which took place a few days ago in Luxembourg, which officially opens the way for Moldova’s accession negotiations.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that Greece supported and supports Moldova’s accession perspective and is ready to assist with technical assistance in the accession process.
During the meeting, bilateral cooperation with an emphasis on transport and energy was also discussed, as Greece contributes to Moldova’s energy security through the supply of natural gas. The two leaders also underlined the importance of expanding the “Vertical Corridor” with the accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Slovakia.
As part of the meeting, a Memorandum of Mutual Recognition of Driving Licenses was signed.
Here is the dialogue between the two leaders at the start of the meeting:
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I am glad to welcome you to Athens. Please convey my warm greetings to Madam President. I had the opportunity to meet her in Switzerland and reiterate the importance we attach to strengthening our bilateral relations. Allow me to express my satisfaction at the significant progress you have made at the beginning of this long but fruitful and beneficial process towards joining the European family.
Let me reiterate once again that we stand by your country, which is facing significant geopolitical challenges following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. You can always count on Greece’s support.
Dorin Recean: Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister. I also convey to you the greetings of President Sandu. We both look forward to hosting you in Chisinau sometime in September. Thank you very much again for the important support that Greece has offered to Moldova during the process of joining the EU. We know that this is not a simple problem to solve, especially now, in these difficult times. But we firmly believe, as I understand Greece also believes, that a bigger Europe means a stronger, more peaceful and more prosperous Europe.
I am especially pleased that both countries share the same vision. I believe that Moldova and Greece have a lot in common, even historical and cultural elements. This brings us even closer. I would like to thank you for your personal contribution to bringing Greeks and Moldovans closer, by opening…
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: We opened our embassy in Chisinau.
Dorin Recean: The other issue I wanted to mention is the new embassy in Chisinau. Thank you very much, it is very important. And thank you again for playing an important role in Moldova’s energy independence. 25% of the natural gas consumed by Moldova last year was supplied by Greece. Last April we made the first purchase from the liquefied natural gas regasification terminal from Greece. This is a great start.
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