“Whatever happens in the election, we will continue to see the alliance with Greece grow stronger.”

This was stated, among others, by the US Deputy Secretary of State (and former ambassador to Greece) Geoffrey Pyatt (Geoffrey Pyatt), in a discussion about the future of Eastern Mediterranean integration, energy cooperation and energy transition, but also the challenges for the security architecture of the region, held today in Washington at the think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies FDD .

The discussion took place in the framework of the 5th Forum for Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, co-organized by the Delphi Economic Forum, the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) and the Kathimerini newspaper.

Geoffrey Pyatt highlighted her deepening her cooperation Greece USA especially in issues energyenergy transition and security. He noted that institutions such as the 3+1 cooperation schemes and the East Med Gas Forum play an important role especially after October 7.

Mr. Pyatt made special mention of IMEC, but also of the upcoming visit of the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to India.

He also spoke about Greece’s accession to the Three Seas, but also for the “vertical corridor” which as an initiative will reduce the dependence of Central European and Western countries. of the Balkans from Russian fuels while accelerating the energy transition in the region.

In fact, he mentioned that earlier in the morning he met with its president PPCGiorgos Stassis, where they discussed the successful corporate transformation of the company, the new venture in Romania and the acceleration of the integration of renewables in Greece and in the countries of the region.

Papadopoulou: our relations with the US are at the best level they have ever been

This was underlined by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexandra Papadopoulou, adding that we share the same values ​​and interests with the US. He pointed out that Greece is a pillar of stability in the region, noting the two dimensions it has as a pillar of stability: an internal and an external one. “Greece is a stable democracy,” he said, emphasizing that the country overcame the crises by keeping its social fabric and political system intact. Her stability and social cohesion make her a reliable interlocutor. He noted that for the Balkan countries, Greece has assumed a leading role for their inclusion in both the EU and NATO. Especially for the Middle East, he noted that Greece has a strategic relationship with Israel, but also ties with the Arab countries.

In relation to Turkey, Mrs. Papadopoulou mentioned that Greece wants not to have a large anti-Western country as a neighbor. That is why it is important to be as close to NATO policies as possible, but also to maintain its European ambitions. He reiterated again that the only difference for Greece is the demarcation of the maritime zones, while he also spoke about the Cyprus issue.

Jonathan Schnazer said, among other things, that we need to start facing reality: we will not be able to stabilize the region if we do not face challenges. He noted that the war in the Middle East is a regional war since other states such as Iran, Pakistan, Yemen are involved in different ways.

He emphasized that elections are coming in Washington and during the election period it is not expected that the challenges will be faced, while he also spoke about Iran and its internal situation, while he mentioned about Turkey that it is a sponsor of Hamas.

The expert on Turkish issues, Sinan Ciddi, emphasized that as a person who was born in Turkey, he does not recognize where the country is headed. He touched on issues such as Turkish attacks on the SDF, allowing Putin’s oligarchs access to markets, Hamas’ financial needs, the F16 deal, among others. He also talked about the S400s that are still in Turkey, adding that he is building a nuclear plant, a project that is fully financed by Russia.