Deputy Foreign Minister Miltiadis Barvitsiotis had a series of meetings with members of the State Department, Congress and the House of Representatives in Washington on Tuesday, where he is paying an official visit.
The purpose of the meetings was to strengthen the strategic cooperation of the two countries, to promote national positions and to coordinate on issues of particular interest to Greece and the Greek-American community, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In particular, the Deputy Secretary of State met with Molly Montgomery, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department, with Ron Johnson, a Republican senator, and Europe, with Ted Deutsch, a member of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as members of the House of Representatives participating in the Hellenic Caucus’s Congressional Caucus on Greek Affairs.
Mr. Varvitsiotis, starting from the invasion of Ukraine, spoke about the firm commitment of Greece to International Law and the clear stance that our country has taken from the first moment, condemning not only in words but also in practice the illegal Russian invasion, which was also acknowledged by his interlocutors.
On the contrary, Mr. Varvitsiotis pointed out, Turkey is the only NATO member state that does not apply the sanctions imposed on Russia, thus making them less credible and effective. For this reason, he conveyed to his interlocutors that the uniform application of sanctions by all partners and allies is necessary and that intermediate solutions are not possible in this case.
In the same context, Mr. Varvitsiotis explained to his interlocutors that there should not be any tolerance towards authoritarian regimes that seek to redraw the borders and revise history in their favor.
The agenda of the Deputy Secretary’s discussions with US officials in charge of European affairs also included the great challenges facing the European Union, such as immigration, enlargement and, above all, its energy security and autonomy.
Mr. Varvitsiotis informed them about the proposals presented by the Greek Prime Minister to his counterparts in Versailles, while emphasizing that Greece has the comparative advantages to become an energy hub. As it was commonly accepted, the 3 + 1 cooperation scheme (Greece-Cyprus-Israel with the participation of the USA) gives a strong political message of unity and is a successful example of synergies in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Greece-US bilateral relations were also at the center of the discussions. Mutual will was expressed for further strengthening of the cooperation of the two countries in the field of defense and economy, while special reference was made to the investment opportunities offered by Greece.
It is noted, finally, that the Deputy Minister thanked the members of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus for their active presence in issues of Greek and Greek-American interest, as well as for the promotion of the relevant national positions. All sides agreed that with coordinated efforts by the two countries, more could be achieved.
Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Source: Capital
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