Austrian Chancellor Christian Stoker praised Greece's economic turnaround during a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos ...

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stoker praised Greece's economic turnaround during a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Salzburg on Monday, calling the country "one of the most resilient economies in Europe" and a model for reform that the rest of the continent should follow. Stoker credited Mitsotakis personally for Greece's steady growth and consistent reduction of public debt over recent years, saying the progress was due "in large part to your own contribution." He added that Greece now serves as a blueprint for successful reform policy that Europe, and Austria in particular, badly needs. The two leaders also aligned on immigration, with Stoker crediting Greece's role in protecting the EU's external borders as central to a broader shift in European migration policy. He noted that in the first half of 2026, Austria recorded more deportations and removals than new asylum applications, a result he tied partly to national measures like suspended family reunification and tightened border controls. Stoker confirmed that 15 Austrian Frontex officers are already deployed at Greek border zones and expressed full support for Greece's efforts. Both countries plan to establish Return Hubs, facilities that would hold rejected asylum seekers ahead of deportation, with a target launch in 2027 during Greece's EU Council Presidency. On tourism, Stoker said more than 900,000 Austrians visit Greece each year and described tourism as "a stable bridge" between the two nations. Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and Austrian Under-Secretary for Tourism Elisabeth Zehetner participated in the Salzburg talks, which focused on workforce training, seasonal extension, and sustainable tourism development. The meeting also touched on Western Balkans enlargement, with Stoker singling out Montenegro as a "model candidate country" and expressing optimism that its EU accession could become reality in the near future. #Greece #EuropeanUnion #Mitsotakis