Alternate Foreign Minister, Giorgos Katrougalos, today met with France's Minister for European Affairs, Nathalie Loiseau. The Alternate Minister made the following statement at the conclusion of the meeting between the two delegations:“We have a significant coincidence of views with France on all issues that concern the future of Europe and prospects for bilateral cooperation. France and Greece are strategic allies and have an essentially timeless relationship. Today, with Greece returning to European normalcy, we must ask ourselves if we are satisfied with this normalcy. And the joint response is that we must make Europe more social, more democratic, and closer to its citizens. Through a mechanism for public consultation, the debate on the future of Europe must be brought to its citizens. Greece’s strategic relationship with France was reaffirmed. And in the coming months there will be closer cooperation on all issues. Issues such as the transformation of the EMU, so that Europe can become more democratic; the budget, so that we can continue to work for convergence and fight the major inequalities within the countries of Europe and among states, and promote new policies, in the digital economy, for example. Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, and President, Emmanuel Macron, have excellent cooperation on the levels of both the European Council and the initiative of the leaders of the South. It is no coincidence that President Macron chose Greece as the destination for his first state visit, as the President of the French Republic, where he presented his vision for the future of Europe. We agree on the need to promote the important proposals by President Macron and to supplement his proposals with our own, and this is why we wish for a balance to exist in Europe on both economic and social levels. For example, complementing President Macron’s proposal that there be an EU finance minister, we propose that there also be an EU social protection minister.”
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