Greece urges all sides to show restraint in wake of Iran’s attack

ATHENS

Any escalation in the Mideast at this time would pose a critical threat to regional stability and security, the Greek prime minister said Monday.

In a meeting in Athens’ Maximos Mansion with Vera Jourova, European Commission vice president for values and transparency, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that Greece stands by Israel but at the same time urged all sides to show the necessary restraint to avoid a probably very dangerous further escalation.

The remarks came in the wake of Iranian airstrikes on Israel over the weekend, in retaliation for Israel’s attack on Iran’s Embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, killing several Iranian officials. The airstrikes were largely deflected and caused little damage and injuries to one person, a 7-year-old girl.

On the rule of law, Mitsotskis said Greece’s cooperation with the European Commission has been excellent.

Specifically, Mitsotakis said Greece takes very seriously the recommendations of the annual EU report on the rule of law and tries to comply as well as it can.

“I am happy with the progress we have achieved, and our teams are all at your disposal to examine the details of the issues you have raised and to ensure that we will respond as much as is possible," he said.

Jourova on her part confirmed very good cooperation with the Greek authorities, adding that all issues covered in the report on the rule of law – whether on the justice system, or the legislative process, or the state of the media, or the tackling of corruption – are essential for a democratic system.