Magda Panoutsopoulou
17 June 2021•Update: 17 June 2021
ATHENS
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis received on Thursday European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at an event to present the actions planned for Greece's economic recovery.
“We welcome the president of the European Commission at a historic moment for Europe and Greece. It is, I believe, the last act of the turmoil caused by the pandemic and the first of a new era," Mitsotakis said in Athens.
The Greece 2.0 plan will make the country eligible for roughly €31 billion, and the funds from the National Strategic Reference Framework and private actions will be close to €100 billion, he added.
Most of the funds will be directed to the green and digital economy, he said.
"The specific program extends to the remotest corner of our country touching all Greek men and women," he said.
Touching upon the choice of venue -- Ancient Angora -- for the event, Mitsotakis said this region was once the center of Athenian trade and philosophical dialogue.
Von der Leyen in her speech said: "Greece will come out stronger than ever and more prepared."
“We are digitizing our economies. We are making the European green deal a reality. We are equipping our societies to be stronger and resilient. Our plan is worth €800 billion and it is the largest recovery package in Europe since the Marshall plan and it is the recovery Europe needs now and in the future," the EU official underlined.
She also announced that the first disbursement will be made in July, adding that "this is by no means the end of the journey, there is still hard work to do."
“Post-COVID-19 Europe will be greener, more digital, more resilient and better fit for the current and forthcoming challenges,” she added.
