Marinakis reiterates state support for the relatives of theTempi accident victims

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' trip to Paris and his participation in the conference convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to support Ukraine was the first item referred to by government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis during the daily press briefing on Tuesday.

He also noted a decision made by Migration and Asylum Minister Dimitris Kairides, which extended temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians in Greece.

Marinakis made special mention of Greece's participation in the Aspides operation for the protection of free navigation in the Red Sea, which was approved by the Government Council for National Security on Monday.

The government spokesperson referred to the "Aegis" plan for the purchase of 300 new vehicles for Greece's forestry services. "The 'Aegis' programme, with a total amount of 2.1 billion euros, is progressing at a very fast pace," he emphasised.

According to the spokesperson, "tenders have already been launched for projects worth 800 million euros, the majority of which (700 million euros) in the last half of 2023. These concern the procurement of aircraft, helicopters, rescue and transport vessels, fire engines, drones, etc."

In reply to a question about the Tempi accident, he stated:

"The government did not act, nor legislate with the aim of covering up the tragic train accident in Tempi. The tragic accident shocked Greek society, all of us, and it is a day when the lives of some people, namely the relatives of the victims, changed for good. No one can understand how these people feel unless they have experienced something similar. The State's support for these people is a given. Plenty of light must be shed and there must be the fastest and fairest possible trial, but responsibilities must be assigned where they belong. We must let justice do its job and the government has the obligation to proceed immediately with all it has promised."