Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tells EU not to ensure further delays in coveted vaccines

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has strongly urged the European Union to ensure no further delays in the supply of vaccines.

“We need to move forward to make sure that as new vaccines are approved, that approval will happen very quickly and that we will not run after other countries,” Mitsotakis said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was criticized last month for the slow pace of vaccine deployment after AstraZeneca Plc delayed shipments to the EU. This was something Mitsotakis pointed out that should be taken into account.

“We have the capacity to administer many more vaccines than we are currently administering and we have the infrastructure installed,” he said. “It’s just about getting your hands on the vaccines, and in the end, it’s a European decision.”

Greece won praise for its treatment of the coronavirus pandemic in March last year, but since the summer it has seen cases rise again. Its battered tourism industry is economically vital and accounts for more than a quarter of jobs.

Mitsotakis pushed fellow European leaders to establish a common vaccination certificate to encourage visitors this summer. This document will allow those who have been vaccinated to travel without the need for Covid-19 screening tests or to stay within forty days. “I see that many EU member states have an interest in delving deeper into this idea,” Mitsotakis said.

What are vaccine passports and how would they work ?: QuickTake

Although the idea has not been rejected, there are doubts that with the current delays in vaccination this initiative cannot be implemented.

The prime minister, in his interview, also addressed the issue of Greece’s debt. The country received a series of international bailouts since the financial crisis more than a decade ago and is on track to pay them off: “We will pay back 3.3 billion euros before the 5.5 billion we borrowed from the IMF.” .

In November 2019, Greece made an early return to the International Monetary Fund of 2.7 billion euros. The measure helped the country take advantage of record minimum rates to reach targets soon.

“We want to be very consistent in our signals that we send to the markets,” Mitsotakis said. “So by repaying the IMF loan in advance, we have made that commitment and we will make sure we keep our word.”

– With the assistance of Paul Tugwell, Nikos Chrysoloras and Zoe Schneeweiss

(Updates with IMF early repayment from the ninth paragraph.)