With a series of critical diplomatic contacts, the program of the official visit by Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis to the United States begins on Friday. The Foreign Minister will inaugurate together with his American counterpart Anthony Blinken the 5th round of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Washington. He will then have a one-on-one meeting with the head of American diplomacy at the State Department.

During the visit to the USA, Mr. Gerapetritis will have the opportunity to present the initiatives undertaken by Greek diplomacy in recent years, but also to confirm the strengthened position of our country on the international stage.

In particular, diplomatic sources estimate that the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue confirms the historically high level of Greek-American relations and encourages the further intensification of bilateral cooperation in a number of critical areas. In this light, it highlights Greece as a reliable partner of the US and an integral part of the regional security architecture in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean.

From the rest of the program in Washington stand out the discussion that Giorgos Gerapetritis will have with John Kerry at the “Wilson Center” and the speech he will give at Georgetown University. Regarding the program in New York, the speech he will make before the UN General Assembly on climate change and food security issues is of particular interest.

The Program of the Strategic Dialogue

At 1:05 pm local Washington time, Giorgos Gerapetritis will enter the Treaty Room of the State Department with Anthony Blinken. The two ministers will make joint statements lasting five minutes, thus officially declaring the start of the Strategic Dialogue, in which the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexandra Papadopoulou, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy and External Affairs, Costas Fragogiannis, will participate, among others.
Afterwards, a signing ceremony will be held in which Mr Gerapetritis will ratify Greece’s accession to the space cooperation agreements “Artemis Accords”. Afterwards, the NASA administrator, Bill Nelson, and the president of the Hellenic Space Center, Ioannis Daglis, will speak.

The topics covered by the 5th Strategic Dialogue are:

• regional political and economic developments.
• defense and security.
• humanitarian challenges and disaster preparedness.
• energy and the environment.
• law enforcement and countering terrorism.
• trade and investment.
• the links between civil society.

The Thematics of the Strategic Dialogue

In terms of defense and security, it is expected that special emphasis will be placed on bilateral defense cooperation, regional security challenges, NATO and EU security initiatives, support for Ukraine, but also the use of technologies from reliable suppliers. Issues of regional interest include the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey, the Western Balkans and their European perspective, the Israel-Hamas war, the Middle East crisis and the Red Sea, as well as Ukraine, the South Caucasus and China.

Regarding humanitarian challenges and disaster preparedness, the expansion of cooperation in the field of Civil Protection will be discussed at length. In this context, it is expected that the response to forest fires, aerial means, as well as long-term coordination issues related to reforestation and the response to flood phenomena will be discussed. In addition, issues related to the asylum application process and refugees will be discussed.

Also of interest is the section of the Strategic Dialogue that has to do with energy and the environment. The Greek and American delegations will have the opportunity to exchange views on the energy transition, the International Conference on the Oceans (Our Ocean Conference) that will be hosted in our country, and dealing with the effects of the climate crisis.

From there, the section dealing with law enforcement and dealing with terrorism will follow. Border cooperation, countering illegal activities, anti-terrorist cooperation, as well as strengthening cyber security will be discussed there.

As expected, a large part of the Strategic Dialogue will be devoted to cooperation issues related to the economy, trade, and investment. During these discussions, extensive reference will be made to the fields of technology, tourism, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Finally, links between civil society will be discussed, covering issues related to student exchanges, cultural heritage protection and Holocaust Remembrance.

The Political Targeting of Strategic Dialogue

At the political level, the Greek side is expected to emphasize the strengthening of bilateral cooperation and the tripartite 3+1 scheme, which includes the Republic of Cyprus, Israel and the USA. It is recalled that in response to a question from APE-MPE, the US Assistant Secretary of State, Joshua Hack, answered in the clearest way that Washington continues to fully support the 3+1 scheme and denied the criticism that the US has put it on ice.

From there, the deepening of defense cooperation, which includes the supply of defense equipment, especially F-35 fighters, for Greece will be discussed at length. And in this area, Mr. Haq had made it clear that the US supports the plan to modernize the capabilities of the Greek Armed Forces.
Another area, which plays a significant role in the bilateral relationship, is energy interconnection and security. In this context, the promotion of energy interconnectivity through pipelines and electrical interconnection projects will be highlighted. However, the diversification of the energy mix through renewable energy sources will also be discussed. The Biden administration places particular emphasis on the energy transition and therefore sees Greece as a country that has enormous potential in the development of renewable energy sources.

Also, the Greek side seeks to further increase cooperation with USAID. Such a development is estimated to contribute to a better response to natural disasters caused by climate change.

Finally, an equally high priority is the further tightening of economic relations, especially in the tourism and shipping sectors. Greece is interested in attracting foreign direct investment, especially in the fields of pharmaceuticals and innovative technologies.

G. Gerapetritis-John Kerry discussion at the Wilson Institute

The Secretary of State will participate on Friday February 9 in the event “Countdown to the Oceans Conference (Our Ocean Conference), Greece 2024: An Ocean with a Perspective”, which will take place at the think tank “Wilson Center” in Washington. At the US Congress-affiliated think tank, Mr. Gerapetritis will present Greece’s goals for the 9th Oceans Conference to be held on April 16 and 17 in Athens.
It is worth noting that the event will also be attended by John Kerry, US President Joe Biden’s Special Envoy on Climate Change. The veteran politician was the initiator of the “Our Ocean Conference” initiative during his tenure at the US State Department and is internationally one of the strongest voices in favor of ocean protection.

Speech at Georgetown University

Immediately afterwards, Mr. Gerapetritis will go to Georgetown University, where he will be the main guest at the event “Challenges and Opportunities: The Future of Europe, the EU-US relationship, the Middle East and the role of Greece on the global stage”. During his conversation with assistant professor of law, lawyer and diplomat Mark Vlasic, the foreign minister will address a number of foreign policy issues.

According to diplomatic sources, Mr. Gerapetritis will highlight the upgraded international role of Greece, which stems from its continuous upward trajectory in recent years, but also its function as a pillar of stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean. In addition, he will analyze developments in the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, underlining Greece’s readiness to act as an honest mediator between the warring sides.

In addition, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will have the opportunity to refer to the excellent level of Greek-American relations, but also to discuss the future of Europe in light of the upcoming European elections. The event at the “European Policy Organization” of Georgetown University, known for its diplomatic tradition, is co-organized by the Embassy of Greece in Washington.