The aircraft carrying Emmanuel Macron arrived at Eleftherios Venizelos airport about an hour late. Immediately afterwards, the French president headed to the Roman Agora, where he was scheduled to meet with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, followed by a dinner at the Presidential Palace.
He was greeted at the airport by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis. The delay in arrival was linked to the informal European Union summit being held in Cyprus.
During his discussion with the French president, the Greek prime minister stressed that Europe is facing profound changes, which create both challenges and opportunities. He stressed the need to strengthen the European Union’s strategic autonomy, noting that Greece and France play a key role in this direction. He also referred to the importance of strengthening the defence industry and competitiveness, as well as the need to mobilise private and European resources for the implementation of the relevant policies in the coming years.
As regards international challenges, the prime minister also commented on Donald Trump’s statements on Europe, noting the importance of cooperation in the defence sector and competition with major powers such as China, especially in the fields of technology and industry.
According to the schedule, after the Roman Forum, Macron will go to the Presidential Palace, where he will be received by President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas, who will host a formal dinner in his honour.
On Saturday morning, the French president and Kyriakos Mitsotakis will visit the frigate “Kimon” in the port of Piraeus. Later, they will meet at the Maximou Mansion, where they will sign agreements and make statements to the media.
In the afternoon, the two leaders will head to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre to address the Hellenic-French Business Forum, organised by the Association of Business and Industry in cooperation with the Hellenic-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They will then visit the National Library of Greece, which hosts the exhibition “Seeking the East. Crossing paths of archaeologists”.
