BRUSSELS — Europe has taken a step forward, while the threat of sanctions against Turkey is the best tool, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday after the end of the European Council in Brussels. He also welcomed the breakthrough over the EU budget.

"Finally, after six months, following July 2020 when the decision was made in principle on the budget for the next six years and the Recovery Fund, we have resolved the last outstanding issues that existed and thus finally unlocked 72 billion euros for our country," Mitsotakis said, adding: "For months now, there has been a problem arising from the fact that Poland and Hungary have raised substantial issues regarding the interpretation of the provision on the rule of law.

"This issue was resolved after painstaking negotiations undertaken by the German Presidency and thus we enter 2021 with the final budget of the Union for the next six years and with everyone in position, so that we can run the procedures for the Recovery Fund as fast as possible."

He also noted that Greece was one of the first countries to submit its draft plan to the European Commission, which was received with very flattering comments.