ATHENS — "I am very happy we took this step for the creation of the Recovery Fund. Greece is expecting to gain significant benefits," stated Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday while welcoming visiting Minister President (Ministerpräsident) of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet in Athens.

"We are in a phase when all European countries must be on high alert for the next months, or at least until a vaccine against the coronavirus is found, because we all understand we can't go to a second total lockdown of our economies," Mitsotakis said.

Finally, he referred to the migration flows adding that Greece is not only protecting its own but also the European borders.

Laschet praises Greece on the economy, pandemic and protection of borders

Armin Laschet congratulated Greece on the state of its economy, on its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and on its protection of the Greek-European borders, in joint statements with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during their meeting in Athens.

"It is very important that Greece remained in the eurozone, we see that economic growth in Greece is making good progress," said Laschet.

He said that his discussion with the Greek premier will focus energy issues, taking into account that Greece is proceeding with the phasing out of lignite and that the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia can support Greece in terms of wind energy and photovoltaics.

Laschet also referred to the migration problem and, addressing Mitsotakis, he said: "You managed to put the system in order because the security of external borders is something very important." He underlined that Greece should be given the necessary support because the security of the borders was a common obligation because "when migrants enter Greece, they essentially enter European territory."