The Greek Ministry of National Economy and Finance published an interview with Minister and Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis setting out the government's current economic, housing and European policy priorities. He described Greece as growing at close to 2%, with investment up from 11% to 17% of gross domestic product, and said the government has already deployed EUR 800 million to support citizens against inflation. On housing, he pointed to measures to bring empty homes back to market, rules for short term rentals in areas under heavy pressure, rent subsidies, and the 'Spiti Mou I' and 'Spiti Mou II' programmes, which he said should help about 30,000 people acquire a home. At European level, Pierrakakis said housing was put on the Eurogroup agenda at the meeting hosted in Nicosia and argued that the Middle East crisis creates immediate risks for Europe through higher energy costs and renewed inflation. He called for a common European energy strategy and a Savings and Investments Union, and backed the Greece Cyprus Israel electricity interconnection as a strategic Project of Common Interest with EUR 657 million in approved funding. As the next financing step, he said the Greek and Cypriot energy ministers have instructed ADMIE to submit a request to the European Investment Bank.