K. Mitsotakis has a full agenda at the White House for the meeting with Joe Biden

By Dimitris Gatsios

With an agenda full of dominant international and regional issues and aiming to highlight the enhanced role of our country in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean, the Prime Minister arrived in Washington yesterday, for a visit of substance, but also high symbolism regarding the historical ties of Greece. States of America. The next 48 hours of Mr. Mitsotakis in the American capital are full of meetings and talks, with the milestones, however, of the prime minister’s presence turning in two directions.

The countdown for today’s meeting of the Prime Minister with the President of the United States of America has begun. At about half past ten in the evening, Greek time, Mr. Mitsotakis will cross the threshold of the White House for the second time in three years, for his extremely important and multi-layered meeting with Mr. Biden. An appointment, taking place at a critical juncture in geopolitical upheavals and developments due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Athens, as evidenced by the talks in Washington, being recognized by partners and allies as a force for stability and security in the region. , constantly promoting the concept of respect for international law, the law of the sea and the rules of good neighborliness. The summit of Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Biden is expected to cover a wide range of issues. Among other things, the two leaders will discuss in the White House:

-The developments around the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with our country having taken a clear position from the first moment, implementing the European and allied reaction.

– The Prime Minister is expected to raise with the American President the issues of Turkish provocation and delinquency in the Aegean. And at this point, government officials remind that Mr. Mitsotakis has already raised the issue of the neighbor’s overflights, pointing out (as he did, for example, in the telephone conversation with the NATO Secretary General) that he endangers the cohesion of the alliance , at a time when, if nothing else, unity is the dominant issue. Following the ratification of the new Greece-United States Defense Agreement, which simultaneously affects defense, diplomacy, economy and energy, the enhanced role of Athens at the regional level is a given, while, according to information, it is not ruled out in The Prime Minister and Mr. Biden should also discuss the purchase of F-35s from our country or the co-production with the USA, with the aim of strengthening the defense and the Greek Defense Industry.

-In the first line will be the energy. Our country aims to become a hub for the transportation of gas and clean energy from the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean to the Balkans and Europe, with the United States of America supporting Athens in this strategy of diversification of energy routes and detoxification of Europe. from Russian fossil fuels. And this, exactly, the support is expected to be confirmed in the talks of the Prime Minister with the President of the United States, at a time when new life is given to groups such as “three plus one” (Greece, Cyprus, Israel, United States) for the energy.

In addition to the above critical issues, the economy and US investment will be high on the agenda of the Mitsotaki-Biden talks, as well as the expanded discussions that will follow, at a time when Greece has set the next two major milestones. That is, the exit, in the summer, from the mechanism of enhanced supervision and the acquisition of investment grade in 2023. As for the investment front, government officials remind that American giants, such as Pfizer and Microsoft, have turned already their gaze on our country, making moves-vote of confidence in the Greek economy, with the key “I want” of Athens to be the attraction of even greater capital in Greece.

The second milestone

If the first major landmark of the prime minister’s presence in the US capital is the summit with Mr. Biden, the second, no doubt, is his speech, on Tuesday afternoon, in Congress. According to government sources, Mr. Mitsotakis will deliver a speech with national, geopolitical and historical significance. He has also stated that he will speak in Washington not only as the Prime Minister of Greece, but also as the representative of Hellenism as a whole. “As our world faces a pivotal moment in the struggle between the forces of democracy and totalitarianism, the transatlantic alliance remains vital to the future of world freedom.

“Congress and our country look forward to hearing your message about democratic values ​​as we continue to strengthen our cooperation, enhance security and freedom worldwide, and build a brighter future for our children,” she said in a letter. To Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, in addition to the symbolism, the Prime Minister will have the opportunity to highlight the stabilizing role of Greece in the region, its contribution to Europe’s energy security and its alliance. attachment.