France's Macron Welcomes PM Mitsotakis, Warns Turkey Not to Violate Cyprus' Rights

French President Emmanuel Macron said during a joint statement with Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday that France will not accept any Turkish violations inside Cyprus’ EEZ, emphasizing that France ”will not show any weakness.”
Prime Minister Mitsotakis, who arrived in Paris earlier on Thursday, was warmly welcomed by President Macron at the entrance of the French capital’s Élysée Palace.

EN DIRECT | Déclaration avec @kmitsotakis, Premier ministre de la République hellénique.https://t.co/EvgzQwUjmz

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 22, 2019

President Macron highlighted the long-lasting ties that bond Greece and France with mutual friendship during his welcoming speech, acknowledging the ”great courage” of the Greek people and the desire they had to remain in the Eurozone during the financial crisis.
On his behalf, Prime Minister Mitsotakis thanked President Macron for his warm welcome and highlighted the long-lasting friendship between the two peoples.
”2021 reminds us of this relationship,” Mitsotakis said, ”as it reminds us of 1821, the Greek revolution and France’s crucial contribution to it.”
The two leaders then went inside the Elysee Palace, where they will hold a meeting to discuss a wide range of issues concerning Greece’s economy, the EU and climate change.
PM Mitsotakis will highlight the Greek economy’s positive indicators, including state bond yields, the positive trend of the Athens Stock Exchange, and the general improvement of the economic climate for Greece in his talks with the French President.
This visit of the Greek Prime Minister initiates a series of meetings he will hold with other EU leaders, including Germany’s Angela Merkel and Dutch Premier Mark Rutte, in a bid to convince the EU that Greece needs more fiscal space to implement reforms and accelerate the country’s growth rates.
It is thought that this may be accomplished by reducing the country’s 3.5 percent primary surplus target as of the year 2021.

Με χαρά βρίσκομαι στη Γαλλία, σε ένα από τα πρώτα ταξίδια μου ως πρωθυπουργός. Είναι μια χώρα ισχυρή, σημαντική. Και σταθερή φίλη της Ελλάδας! Κοινές δηλώσεις με τον Πρόεδρο της Γαλλικής Δημοκρατίας @EmmanuelMacron. https://t.co/Ti2AMJ57QM

— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) August 22, 2019

Climate change will be another sector which is ripe for Greek-French collaboration, and it will also be on the agenda of the two leaders, along with issues concerning renewable energy, recycling and waste processing.
Mitsotakis expressed his support for Macron’s “Green Agenda,” given the fact that Greece is facing similar challenges to France in a range of different issues, as well as Macron’s vision to further politically unite the Eurozone.
The Greek premier is accompanied on his official visit to France by his wife, Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, who has a separate schedule in tandem with her husband’s in the French capital.
With information from AMNA