PM Mitsotakis receives ND MEP Fredi Beleris at the Maximos Mansion

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday received ruling New Democracy MEP Fredi Beleris at the Maximos Mansion.

"I have many reasons, dear Fredi, to be glad to welcome you today at the Maximos Mansion. Firstly, to congratulate you on your election as a Greek MEP, in Brussels and in Strasbourg, with New Democracy. I am certain that you will do your duty to the utmost," the prime minister said, greeting Beleri.

Mitsotakis also expressed his happiness that the MEP's ordeal was drawing to a close. "The self-evident was done, you were given leave so that you can perform your duties and be sworn in. I hope that you will very soon be permanently out of prison and that this painful chapter for us all will come to an end, so that we can move on and look forward," he added.

Beleris, on his part, thanked the prime minister in person for his support and promised to honour the trust that Mitsotakis placed in him by putting him on the European ballot. "I consider that the rule of law, the right to elect and be elected, is not self-evident in the country where we live. I want to help with these things. I want to help the Greek ethnic minority to stay in their ancestral homes but also help this state to come closer to and become a member of the European family," he said.

"This is what we also want," Mitsotakis replied. "I think I have proved in practice that I stand at the side of the people of the Greek ethnic minority. And we also have every reason to want an Albania that makes progress in these issues, which comes closer to Europe, while strictly abiding by its European commitments. This is, I think, a common goal which we all want to work towards," the premier concluded.