“No visit to New York is ever, ever complete without a gathering of the vibrant Greek-American community of this wonderful city. Thank you very much for being here,” the prime minister said Kyriakos Mitsotakis during his greeting at an expatriate event in Astoria New York.

He emphasized the special emphasis placed on the strategic depth of the relationship that Greece has with the United States and added that “Greece plays a key role in the Eastern Mediterranean, trying, despite the difficulties, to normalize our relationship with Turkey, to be a honest mediator and talk to all parties involved in order to try to resolve this crisis in the Middle East.”

He also referred to the effort to build the foundations of Greece as a prosperous and democratic society. He said the goal is also: “To encourage more Greek Americans, if not to come back and ‘see us differently’, to invest in Greece, to spend more time in Greece, to send their children to Greece, to build interpersonal ties that they connect our two countries”.

He made special mention of the possibility of postal voting which was given for the first time in the recent European elections and emphasized the special role of digital technology in interacting with our diplomatic missions to make the lives of expatriates easier.

“As someone who has spent many years in the US, who has seen various governments break their promises when they talked about the importance of this relationship, I want to make sure that we operate differently. I think we’ve proven that we can really do that. We want you to be part of Greece’s success and I am sure you will do just that,” the prime minister concluded.

In detail, during his greeting at an event with expatriates in Astoria, the prime minister said:

“Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, let me begin by thanking Mike and Drake for their very kind address. No visit to New York is ever, ever complete without a gathering of the vibrant Greek-American community of this wonderful city. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you very much for acting, as Drake said, as a very solid and strong bridge between our two countries.

Today is another opportunity to honor distinguished members of the Greek-American community. I place special emphasis on these events because I feel it is my obligation, our obligation, to recognize the very special work being done in the Greek-American community to keep these strong ties alive and strong. At a time when the world is facing extremely complex global challenges, Greece is a pillar of stability and prosperity in a very turbulent part of the world. I place special emphasis on the strategic depth of the relationship that Greece has with the United States, the highest manifestation of which was, probably, when I had the unique privilege of addressing a joint session of Congress in 2022.

It was an opportunity for me to talk about the enduring ties between our two countries, to highlight our shared democratic tradition, to talk a little about the challenges our modern democracies face in this age of polarization. But from that speech what I probably remember most is the pride in the stands when I saw your faces, the faces of the Greek-American community, watching the Prime Minister of Greece address the United States legislature for the first time in our history. We are working to make this relationship as strong as possible.

I know that there is an election coming up in the United States, and I can assure you that whoever is elected, whoever the American people choose to represent them in the highest office, this relationship will grow stronger and stronger because it is in the mutual interest of of our two countries.

Greece plays a pivotal role in the Eastern Mediterranean, trying, despite the difficulties, to normalize our relationship with Turkey, to be an honest mediator and talk to all parties involved in order to try to resolve this crisis in the Middle East. It is in everyone’s interest to work towards de-escalation and ensure that this does not escalate into a regional war.

At the same time, however, we will continue to build the foundations of our country as a prosperous and democratic society. If the first four years of our mandate were about the stabilization of the country, the recognition that we have left behind us the difficult years of the crisis, the arrangement of our public finances, the return to the ranks of normal European countries, the next four years are about the realization a great leap forward, achieving real convergence with the European Union, tackling the underlying problems that have held us back for many, many years. Ensuring that the economy continues to grow significantly faster than the rest of Europe, that we continue to attract foreign direct investment, that we continue to create jobs, that we improve living standards, raise wages and, as the Drake, we will encourage more Greeks who emigrated during the difficult crisis years to return.

To encourage more Greek Americans, if not to return to “see us with a different eye”, to invest in Greece, to spend more time in Greece, to send their children to Greece, to build interpersonal ties that connect our two countries.

I am very optimistic about this project. We have three years ahead of us without any election contest. We are a strong government with a comfortable parliamentary majority. I feel that the mandate I received from the Greek people is a mandate for bold changes. I am not interested in merely managing the affairs of the state. I am interested in ensuring that Greece becomes a country that can really be a star and not a tailgater in the European Union, a prosperous democratic society that offers equal opportunities to all. This is my vision, and we want you, the Greek-American community, to be a part of this plan.

You know that for the first time, in the recent European elections, we did something that was unthinkable: we made it possible to vote by mail, without having to return to Greece or appear at the Consulate to vote. This was a European election, I am sure we will be able to do it again in the national elections.

I should point out that we need 200 votes in Parliament for this. But, seeing the success and ability of the state to organize this system of postal voting, I am sure that no one will refuse to grant the right to those living abroad to vote without having to visit the Embassy or Consulate or return to Greece, as it happened.

It is, I believe, important for those who have the right to vote in Greece to actively participate in public life. I do not agree with the argument that if this happens – and it will – we will export the polarization that exists in Greece abroad. No, I believe that you have the ability to see things from a distance, to see the big picture, to stay away from the micro-political issues that quite often immerse us in meaningless discussions that do not concern the real problems of Greeks. I look forward to your participation.

I would also like you to know that one of our big projects in terms of interaction with our diplomatic missions, with our Consulates, is to make your life easier. Digital technology will help us in this direction. This is a big project I have for the next three years. We have a new Consul General in New York, she just arrived a week ago. We sent you one of the best. I am very much looking forward to the work he will do here. Rest assured that we will do everything we can to make you proud of our country and strengthen these ties.

As someone who has spent many years in the US, who has seen various governments break their promises when they talked about the importance of this relationship, I want to make sure that we operate differently. I think we’ve proven that we can really do that. We want you to be part of Greece’s success and I am sure you will do just that.

So thank you very much for being here. It’s a real privilege to see you, to shake your hand.”