To strengthen the cooperation between Greece and the USA in Eastern Mediterranean through the figure 3 + 1, the developments in war in Ukrainebut also the energy security The Foreign Ministers of the two countries spoke at their meeting, Nikos Dendias and Anthony Blinkenaccording to a statement from the State Department.
The head of US diplomacy noted that Greek-American relations are at the highest level who ever was and called his counterpart to cooperate against Russian aggressionbut also in enhancing energy security in the Eastern Mediterranean.
For his part, the Greek Foreign Minister, before their private meeting, briefed him on the situation in the southeastern Mediterranean, while they also discussed new ways to strengthen the US presence in the region. In fact, he left spikes against Turkey underlining that “the United States must understand that no ground should be left to the revisionist force that seeks to change this rule-based international order».
According to diplomatic sources, it was stressed in the first place the exceptional, unique, as US officials typically point out, level of bilateral relationswhich is based on strategic cooperation.
In this context, special mention was made of amendment of the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreementwhich was ratified by the Parliament last week and creates even further possibilities for cooperation, especially in the current critical situation after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The discussion has been extended to cooperation in multilateral schemesafter the recent meeting of the Foreign Ministers in the “3 + 1” format.
Particular emphasis was placed on energy, where Greece now plays a key role in transporting gas to the rest of Europe.
The situation in Ukraine was examined in depth, where the American side expressed its appreciation for the position of authority adopted by Greece, which fully supports all measures and strengthens the unity and cohesion of NATO.
The Secretary of State briefed his American counterpart thoroughly for the escalation of Turkish delinquent behavioremphasizing the firm position of our country for the promotion of bilateral relations on the basis of the principles of International Law and especially the Law of the Sea, principles which are fully embraced by the American side.
In addition, he referred in detail to need to resolve the Cyprus issue on the basis of the relevant decisions of the UN Security Council.
The particularly worrying developments in Libya were also discussed.
Finally, the key role of Greece in the stabilization of the Western Balkans and in supporting their European perspective was emphasized. Mr. Dendias underlined that he will visit the countries of the region in the near future in order to convey this message again.
Regarding his meeting with the US President’s Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, the Secretary of State referred to the initiatives taken by the Mitsotakis government. to tackle the effects of climate changeas well as measures to reduce pollution and further focus on renewable energy sources.
It was also agreed to have bilateral cooperation for the protection of the seas and the marine environment, on the basis of respect for International Maritime Law.
The Blinken-Dendia conversation in detail before the meeting:
Blinken: Good afternoon to everyone. It is a great pleasure to have my friend, the Greek Foreign Minister, here at the State Department. These were two important and incredibly productive days, mainly with the Prime Minister’s visit, his meeting with President Biden, the Prime Minister’s appearance before Congress. And it is up to us now – Nikos and I – to follow all the instructions we receive from President Biden and Prime Minister Mitsotakis to continue to do the work that brought about the cooperation between the United States and Greece – at least during the crisis – at the highest point ever.
We are grateful for this cooperation: the work we are doing together to stand up to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and to stand by Ukraine. And the work we are doing together to strengthen and diversify energy security, including in the Eastern Mediterranean; the work we are doing together through the Strategic Dialogue we have had and will continue in so many different areas of the Greece-United States relationship.
So I am grateful that I have the opportunity with Nikos to attend the meeting of the President with the Prime Minister, to continue the important work we do together to build the strongest possible relationship between Greece and the United States.
Dendias: Thanks. It’s a great opportunity to be here today after a spectacular meeting with President Biden yesterday, and, if I may say so, a historic speech by my Prime Minister
I look forward to discussing Ukraine. After the Russian invasion, I think it is good to compare notes and see where we are going from here. I will also brief you on the situation in the south-eastern Mediterranean and see how the United States could strengthen its presence in the region – such as the 3 + 1 model, for example. It’s something that is very important to us, and I would like to discuss how we can improve it and also discuss the challenges in a rules-based international order.
I must say that it is important for us, the United States, to understand that no ground should be left for the revisionist force that seeks to change this rule-based international order.
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