Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker reaffirmed the strong ties between Greece and Austria during their meeting in Salzburg on Monday, focusing on economic cooperation, tourism, energy, migration and Europe’s wider challenges.
Speaking after the meeting, Stocker praised Greece’s economic transformation, describing the country as “one of the most resilient economies in Europe” and an example of successful reform policies. He congratulated Mitsotakis for Greece’s progress, highlighting steady growth and the reduction of public debt as key achievements.
The Austrian Chancellor stressed that competitiveness remains essential for Europe’s future and called for reforms to the European energy market, arguing that lower renewable energy production costs should translate into lower prices for households and businesses. He noted that both Austria and Greece are affected by high energy costs and warned that climate policies should not undermine European industry.
Tourism was another central topic of discussion, with both leaders describing it as a strong bridge between the two countries. More than 900,000 Austrians visit Greece every year, while Greek tourism to Austria is also increasing. The two sides discussed extending the tourism season, sustainable tourism development, workforce shortages and further cooperation between the two countries.
Mitsotakis said Greece is prioritising the development of mountain tourism and highlighted the importance of expanding tourism beyond the traditional summer model. He also referred to the need for stronger European energy security, noting that Greece has evolved from a natural gas importer into a key energy hub for Southeastern Europe.
On migration, the two leaders underlined the importance of protecting Europe’s external borders and agreed that responsibility must be shared among EU member states. Mitsotakis said Greece supports a balanced approach combining stronger border protection, effective returns for those not entitled to asylum, and legal migration pathways. Stocker praised Greece’s role in changing Europe’s migration policy and expressed Austria’s support for stronger border management.
The leaders also discussed EU enlargement in the Western Balkans, with Mitsotakis reaffirming Greece’s support for the European perspective of the region, while stressing that each candidate country must meet the required conditions.
Regarding the new crisis in the Middle East, Mitsotakis stressed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation, particularly for Greece as a major shipping country. He also said Greece had provided around €800 million in additional support measures during 2026 due to the impact of the conflict, while maintaining fiscal discipline.
Climate adaptation and wildfire prevention were also discussed. Mitsotakis expressed solidarity with Spain and France over recent wildfires, highlighting European cooperation mechanisms and noting that Greece is assisting with firefighting aircraft. He praised Austria’s volunteer-based civil protection model and said climate adaptation policies must become a priority in the EU’s next financial framework.
The meeting concluded with both leaders expressing their intention to deepen cooperation in tourism, energy, migration and European policy.
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