Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is going to Bucharest to participate in the two-day European People's Party (EPP) Congress on Wednesday and Thursday.
During the Congress, European heads of state and government and heads of centre-right parties serving as the main opposition are expected to endorse the EPP's decision to nominate Ursula von der Leyen as a candidate for a second term as president of the European Commission and discuss the party's manifesto ahead of of the European elections, which will be held in all the member-states of the European Union between June 6 and June 9.
The leaders will also have the opportunity to exchange views on the challenges facing Europe, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European defence, the rising cost of living, populist action and extremism.
According to government sources, Kyriakos Mitsotakis plays a significant role in the EPP. They pointed out that the ruling party prevailed in last year's elections, increasing its percentages in relation to the 2019 polls, having now emerged as one of the most important centre-right parties in Europe.
Indicative of Mitsotakis' prominence among the leaders in the ranks of the EPP, they noted, is the fact that his speech at the conference is the last speech scheduled before that of the president of host-country, Romania, and the president of the European Parliament.
During his stay in Bucharest, the prime minister will have meetings with the president, the prime minister and the president of the Senate of Romania.