Parliament: Opponents of Parliamentary Representatives for Upgrading Greek-American Defense Cooperation

The controversy between the parliamentary representatives of the parties was intense during the debate in the Plenary Session of the “ratification of the second protocol amending the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement between Greece and the United States of America”.

ND parliamentary representative Haris Theocharis attacked SYRIZA, accusing it of ideological partisan tactics. “SYRIZA blames us for everything we have achieved by drastically upgrading the defensive prestige of our country. But SYRIZA’s criticism is based on two factors: Embarrassment and ideology. We give them both to you, because we, the government of Nea Democracy, we prefer to substantially strengthen the defense capacity of our country “, stressed Mr. Theocharis and added:” You will not vote for it because you are “not in everything” and where the wind blows.

I’m sorry to say that. “” Take advantage of this gift given by the upgraded Greek – American defense cooperation. From the French Agreement until today there has been a war, a lot has changed, no one will ask you for a change of attitude. “So, I call on you, once again, to be on the right side of the country’s interest and to vote”, concluded the parliamentary representative of ND.

“What impressed me most today was that Mr. Mitsotakis stated that the country is coming out of this agreement stronger. An agreement that will now be valid indefinitely, unlike all the governments that have renewed it so far. “, having the opportunity to negotiate with the United States”, countered the parliamentary representative of SYRIZA, Giannis Ragousis.

At the same time, he disputed that the Greek national interests are strengthened by the new amendment agreement. “Really, what did we get out of this deal? How did we use the precious asset of our geostrategic position? With the US’s departure from Eastmed two months after the signing of the Dendia deal? With the recent US promotion of the sale “F16 in Turkey or perhaps with the overflights on our islands, which are a violation of our sovereignty? Violations that the US, not only did not condemn, but adopted the role of Pontius Pilate”, Mr. Ragousis pointed out and concluded: ” “Finally, put Greece above the SW and acknowledge that things are not going well at all. Voting against such an agreement benefits and does not harm the country.”

The parliamentary representative of PASOK-KINAL, Costas Skandalidis, responding to the reports of the president of SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras, to Andreas Papandreou, accused him of late discovering the national leader and founder of PASOK. “Leave Andreas alone. He took over a country barefoot on the thorns and brought it to the center of developments. Of course SYRIZA has now discovered the real Andreas and Alexis Tsipras is projecting his greatness as a national leader, when in 1999 he was sent by his party to “A special court as a common thief. But it is not accidental. Because Andreas becomes more relevant every year,” said Mr. Skandalidis and added:

“When you address us, you are addressing us seriously and not under the weight of upcoming political developments, which may also mean the reversal of political correlations. So, when we say return, we do not say it by chance. We say it because the root began “It will flourish again and a new generation will come to the forefront of history. And we are confident that the people will gradually give us back, gradually, with difficulty, with great effort, the power to serve this country.”

The KKE parliamentary representative, Thanassis Pafilis, accused the government of turning Greece into an “advanced outpost” of NATO and American interests, while attributing to the Opposition parties “excessive hypocrisy”. “As the map of Greece has been formulated, with NATO bases from north to south and from east to west, it is not a country of peace and stability but an advanced outpost,” said Mr. Pafilis, adding: “It is completely The hypocrisy of all the bourgeois parties, because while now they condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but in the American invasion of Yugoslavia they did not pull the trigger, SYRIZA as a government had hurried to use the new bases in Alexandroupolis, Volos, etc. “before the agreement was signed and now he blames the government for individual issues and states that he is not a given, at a time when he had signed all the NATO decisions for its reinforcement and the encirclement of Russia”.

The parliamentary representative of the Hellenic Solution, Costas Hitas, spoke about a defeated and dangerous Agreement. “Everything is given to the Americans and NATO without taking anything. It is a unilateral agreement that does not guarantee the national sovereignty of our country, on the contrary, it further strengthens Turkish aggression. You are a dangerous government,” said Mr. Hitas, among others.

The MEPA25 parliamentary representative, Kleon Grigoriadis, accused the government of “playing the role of a useful idiot, signing a heterogeneous defense agreement for the country.” “with a vast American base and with the logic of its absolute attachment to the South American adventure for the region of the Eastern Mediterranean”, said Mr. Grigoriadis.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ