ATHENS – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis focused on the pandemic and the hopes ahead of the country's gradual reopening, in his message following Orthodox Easter Resurrection services on Saturday night.

"The fact our country is one with least fatalities in Europe does not reduce the grief," he said, "but marks the degree of danger this pandemic brings, the effort of those still fighting at the front lines for public health, and the hope that the gift of vaccinations brings."

Despite the fewer restrictions during this Holy Week compared to last year, he said, coming out of this pandemic requires keeping to health measures, as food and drink places prepare to open their outdoor seating facilities this week and schools to fully reopen the next. Mitsotakis also called for solidarity and unity during these times and said "Greece appears to be coming out of this crisis stronger." Among the changes during the pandemic he noted a stronger National Health System, digitized and faster public services, including the vaccination appointment platform, and an economy ready to move ahead to development.

Reiterating the recently presented development plan (Greece 2.0) for the post-pandemic time, he described it as "a gigantic program with 175 actions (…) that will change the country's image and everyone's lives."

The PM attended the Resurrection service at the St. Dionysus Areopagite church of Athens accompanied by his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis and his children, Sophia, Constantine and Daphne.