The meeting of the American Secretary of State is over, Anthony Blinkenwith the prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

In a brief on-camera dialogue at the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister welcomed the US Secretary of State to Athens and mentioned Russian invasion of Ukraine, dependence on Russian natural gas and a deadly earthquake in Turkey.

“As you know, Greece has fully supported Ukraine with military assistance, and we, in every possible way, together with our allies, have sent a signal that this manifestation of violence is unacceptable for democratic countries. We have deepened our bilateral relations with the United States, which makes me especially happy, and this has been done on all fronts, both in the military and in the energy sphere,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“We hope that we can limit our dependence on Russian natural gas. This is a good period for the Greek economy, which has begun to grow,” he said.

Greek and Turkish peoples are close

“I know that you are from Turkeywhere our heart was broken humanitarian catastrophe which fell upon our neighbor and we were among the first to send aid, said the Prime Minister, referring to the terrible catastrophe, showing that despite very important disagreements with the government of our neighboring country, our people are close, and I hope that we can develop this psychological connection and further improve our relations, which will benefit both our countries and the entire Eastern Mediterranean.”

Anthony Blinken thanked the Prime Minister and commented: “These are difficult times, you are right, but I am sure that together we can overcome the difficulties. As you said, this is the year we are experiencing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but we are building very important alliances, very strong ones, and I really applaud Greece’s leadership on many fronts where it has shown its solidarity with Ukraine. ”

Blinken: the main role of Greece

As the US Secretary of State said, Greece has played a leading role in matters related to energy., solving the problem of climate change and a number of issues that are very important for bilateral relations. “Also, as a leader in the integration of states in Europe, in the Western Balkans, this is of great importance, and we are grateful for this. I am also particularly pleased to be here to launch the 4th round of the Strategic Dialogue between our two countries. This is a “tool” that really further strengthens our partnership at the bilateral level, as well as our joint work in the region and the world,” he added.

“We are united by the miracle of the Greek idea”

Mr. Blinken stressed that he hopes for further deepening of economic ties and ties between the two peoples. “But I think perhaps in some ways the most important thing right now is the fact that, as you said in your historic speech at the joint session of the United States Congress (…), this is what really unites us – the United The States and Greece are a marvel of the Greek idea. The idea that a society works best when its citizens are equal and everyone has the right to participate in the functioning of the state.. It is a powerful idea that unites us in something fundamental. It’s an idea that in some places, in a way, is questioned. And the fact that we remain united, I believe, is a source of great hope for the future.”

A. Blinken arrived at Maximos Palace about 10 minutes before the scheduled meeting with the Prime Minister. The discussion between the two men has a rich agenda: all issues related to Greece, as well as the international political scene, including the war in Ukraine, energy issues, relations with Turkey, NATO.

According to the information, dinner will follow at Megaros Maximos.

Foreign Secretary, Nikos Dendiashe has a fever due to a cold and will not be attending dinner as a precaution.

Blinken’s message

“Good evening Greece,” the US Secretary of State wrote on his personal Twitter account immediately after his arrival in Athens. Anthony Blinken. In his own post, the head of American diplomacy noted that this was his first visit as foreign minister to the “homeland of the republic.”

At the same time, he stated: “Together, the United States and Greece, we advance our common goals of peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Western Balkans, the Black Sea region and beyond.”

Kalispera Greece! This is my first visit to the home of democracy as Secretary of State. Together, the United States and Greece are advancing our common goals of peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Western Balkans, the Black Sea region, and beyond. pic.twitter.com/wr7dF99q3C

— Secretary Anthony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 20, 2023

The head of the State Department is expected to meet with the Secretary of State early Tuesday morning. Nikos Dendias.

During his visit to Athens, Mr. Anthony Blinken will also meet with the former prime minister, Alexis Tsipras.

The U.S. Foreign Secretary’s schedule also includes a trip to ancient market.

After that, Mr. Bliken will meet with members of the EMAK search and rescue teams who have returned from the earthquake-affected areas of Turkey.

He will then open an extension to the embassy building in the presence of Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Archbishop of Athens.

government representative, Yannis Oikonomoubriefing political editors, characterized Blinken’s visit extremely positive development and stressed that Greece’s relations with the United States are at their best level in recent years.

On the US side, the US Under Secretary of State for European Affairs, Karen Donfriedexpressed his assessment that in the course of the contacts that Mr. Blinken will have in our country, all current geopolitical events will be discussed.