Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis had a series of meetings with members of the State Department, the Congress, and the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, during his official visit. The aim 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.
In particular, the Alternate Minister met with Molly Montgomery, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department, with Ron Johnson, Republican Senator, Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe, with Ted Deutch, member of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as with members of the House of Representatives who participate in the Hellenic Caucus of Congress on Hellenic issues.
Considering the invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Varvitsiotis, spoke about Greece’s firm commitment to International Law and the clear stance that our country has taken from the very first moment, condemning not only in words but also in practice the illegal Russian invasion, a fact which was also acknowledged by the Alternate Minister’s 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, the Alternate Minister conveyed to his interlocutors that the uniform application of sanctions by all partners and allies is necessary and that there is no room for interim solutions in this case. In the same context, Mr. Varvitsiotis explained to his interlocutors that there should be no tolerance for authoritarian regimes that seek to redraw the borders and revise history for their own benefit.
The agenda of the Alternate Minister’s talks with US officials in charge of European affairs also included the great challenges the European Union faces, such as the migration issue, EU Enlargement and, above all, its energy security and autonomy. Mr. Varvitsiotis briefed them on the proposals presented by the Greek Prime Minister to his counterparts in Versailles, while he emphasized 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) conveys a strong political message of unity and constitutes a successful example of synergies in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The talks also focused on Greece-US bilateral relations. Mutual will was expressed for further strengthening of the cooperation of the two countries in the fields of defense and economy, while special reference was made to the investment opportunities offered by Greece.
It is noted, finally, that the Alternate 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.