ATHENS – “Greece will stand by the Greek communities in Ukraine and especially that in Mariupol. If there are Greeks who want to leave Ukraine we will warmly welcome them,” stated Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday, during his meeting with President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou at the Presidential Mansion.

Additionally, Mitsotakis informed Sakellaropoulou that on Tuesday, at an extraordinary session of parliament, he will brief the body on the developments in Ukraine and expressed hope that “there will be complete national unanimity on addressing this major challenge”.

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“We should be prepared for substantial turbulence in the energy market,” he added, while expressing satisfaction that European leaders had agreed to his proposal that the [European] Commission to examine and immediately submit ideas on how to support consumers and entrepreneurs at European level, adding that “we expect to discuss these proposals at the next European Council.”

On her part, President Sakellaropoulou said that the issue at stake overall was the system of values of both the EU and of a country that believed in these values, adding that Europe should remain united.

“I think of this people. Nobody expected to become a refugee. The Ukrainian people that are suffering at this time should have the opportunity to stay in their country and Russia must be persuaded to leave and this crisis must end,” Sakellaropoulou said, adding that EU member-states should put their economic interests to one side when facing the need to defend European values.