“Greek-US relations should not be viewed through the lens of an undeclared contest between Greece and Turkey. They exist in their own right and the crucial factor is the importance of Greece as a partner and the way these relations can be expanded”, said Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis in an interview with ERT1 TV’s ‘Syndeseis’ show and journalists K. Papachlimintzos and Chr. Vidou, on the occasion of the Greek Prime Minister’s visit to Washington.
In particular, Mr Varvitsiotis said that, in addition to exerting pressure on Turkey to suspend its recent provocative conduct, the visit’s agenda includes the further deepening of the bilateral Greece-US relationship, as well as the energy and economic cooperation between the two countries. He went on to describe the investments made by US corporate giants in Greece for the first time in decades as “the personal success of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who has worked hard in that direction”.
The Alternate Minister also noted that the Prime Minister's speech in Congress will be an excellent opportunity to send a message about where Greece currently stands, what its strategic role in the region is, and the way the country can become a useful and essential partner of the United States. In this regard, he pointed out that, unlike past visits, now the Greek Prime Minister is going to the US representing “a country that stands firmly on its feet, is an important partner of Europe, has a voice in the European Union, does not have to beg, is a military force in the region and has upgraded its defensive relationship with the United States with the voting of the new defence agreement”.
Responding to a question about the Turkish veto on Finland's and Sweden's accession to NATO, Mr. Varvitsiotis commented that this veto lasted only 24 hours and was withdrawn very quickly, adding that it would not be a happy occasion for Greece if Turkey were to leave the NATO alliance.
Finally, regarding the issue of energy crisis and the adoption of policies to deal with it in the coming European Councils, where he himself will participate, Mr. Varvitsiotis stressed that the Greek government has already submitted its proposals to the European Union. The Alternate Minister estimated that there will be a decision facilitating countries to address the energy challenge on their own, along with the creation of more renewable energy sources, which is the strategic goal of the Union.
May 16, 2022