PM dispels election talk, welcomes Greek-Turkish exploratory talks

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday rejected reports that he may call elections in 2021, saying that his government intends to complete its four-year term.

“No, 2021 will not be an election year. The government enjoys a comfortable parliamentary majority,” he told Greek television channel ANT1.

Asked about the development of the pandemic in the country and the slow pace of vaccination, Mitsotakis said the government has ordered double the number of vaccines the country needs, adding that by the end of March, health authorities will have received about 4 million doses.

He reiterated that authorities will then be able to vaccinate about 2 million people, without specifying the timeframe.

Concerning the announced new round of exploratory talks with Turkey over territorial claims in the Mediterranean Sea in January 25, Mitsotakis said the government “sought to resume” discussions by setting a specific framework.

“There should be no activity inside the Greek exclusive economic zone and the delimitation of maritime zones in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean as the subject of discussion,” he said.

“It is better to talk within a specific context than not to talk at all,” he added.