Petsas: Universities returned to students, neighbourhoods to their residents

Government spokesperson Stelios Petsas underlined government's commitment to "returning universities to their students, neighbourhoods to their residents and properties to their owners," during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Petsas noted that the counter-terrorism squad on Saturday succeeded in dismantling a dangerous enclave of Greek terrorism, adding that this major success helped protect public safety and democracy, while he also referred to an operation in the Economic University of Athens, where police cleared out areas in the university basement that were being used as a base and firebombs lab for attacks mounted on police by rioters.

The universities are being returned to their natural users - the students, staff and faculty - Petsas said, while he also referred to a police operation on Tuesday to evacuate an occupied building in the Athens district of Exarchia. "It is the 12th evacuation of an illegally occupied site," he said.

He referred to government's decision to freeze prices for medicine, reached during a meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias on Tuesday at the Maximos mansion. "The main issue at the meeting was the reversal of price increases for medicines decided by the former government. On the contrary, the health ministry is tabling an amendment, which we hope will be passed in parliament with a broad majority, that foresees not only the freezing of the prices but also reductions of up to 7 percent in the case of some medicines," he underlined.

On Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Greece, Petsas said that Greece is leaving the crisis behind it and steadily restoring its credibility and the confidence of international markets. He noted that China had shown confidence in Greece during the crisis years and has every reason to increase its investments in the country.

On the government's parliamentary work he said that 16 bills have already been passed in four months, while four draft laws are expected to be tabled in parliament over the coming period. Finally, he unveiled the prime minister's schedule in the following days.

According to Petsas, Mitsotakis will receive representatives of Albania's Greek minority organisation "Omonia" on Wednesday, while in the afternoon he will meet with representatives of the non-governmental organisation "The Smile of the Child".

On Thursday, the prime minister is to address the 4th Thessaloniki Summit, meeting North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on the sidelines. On Friday, the premier will tour the region of Imathia, northern Greece.

On Saturday and Sunday he will be in London for personal matters. Next Monday he will have another meeting with regional governors at the Maximos mansion.