Marinakis: The country is once again being tested this year by extreme weather phenomena

"The Prime Minister earlier announced Greece’s participation in the SAFE financial mechanism under the ReARM Europe framework via a social media post," said government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis, initiating the daily press briefing on Monday.

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"The Prime Minister earlier announced Greece’s participation in the SAFE financial mechanism under the ReARM Europe framework via a social media post," said government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis, initiating the daily press briefing on Monday.

"Tomorrow, Greece is going to submit its proposal for inclusion in the mechanism, seeking low-interest loans of at least 1.2 billion euros. Our government continues to strengthen the deterrent power and operational capability of the Armed Forces with planning, seriousness, and strategic responsibility," he said.

Continuing, Marinakis added that Greece, like the rest of Europe, is once again facing a challenge this year from extreme weather phenomena. The prolonged drought, the high temperatures lasting for days, and the particularly strong winds with gusts exceeding even 8 Beaufort, in recent days created an extremely dangerous situation that increased the likelihood of wildfires starting and spreading rapidly, he pointed out. He added that the country was placed on red alert once in June and twice in July, with the most recent alert recorded just the previous Saturday, July 26. He also stated that from last Tuesday until Monday, 236 agricultural and forest fires had broken out, some of which — particularly in Kythera, Messinia, Drosopigi Attica, Evia, and Feneos Corinthia — quickly reached dangerous proportions due to these adverse conditions.

"Greece submitted a request for assistance through the European Civil Protection Mechanism, to which Italy responded promptly by sending two Canadair aircraft last night. At the same time, the Fire Department’s Arson Crimes Directorate is investigating the causes of the fires," he added, emphasising that "we remain on continuous alert, taking into account the dangerous weather conditions which may increase the risk of fire outbreaks, and we ask citizens to strictly follow the authorities' instructions and avoid actions that could lead to the start of a fire."