Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a joint press conference following their visit to the Souda military base.
Greece is a pillar of stability in the region,” Mr Pompeo said, expressing his support for Greece and the Greek government.
He said it was the first time that a US Secretary of State has visited Greece twice in such a short space of time. He made a special reference to the very strong military relationship between Greece and the United States and added that Greece is a pillar of stability and that the US side is very proud to support the leadership of the Greek government and the military leadership.
Mr Pompeo also referred to his discussion with Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos, saying that they are working to make progress on the issues discussed a year ago regarding the defence cooperation agreement reached last year.
The US Secretary of State stressed that it was a strategic choice to permanently dock the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams helicopter ship at the base, because it is a strategic position and symbolises the strategic cooperation that exists and will continue to grow.
Regarding the energy sector, Pompeo said that “we believe in cooperation in the energy sector, and we support all these initiatives for prosperity in the region.”
Referring to Greek-Turkish affairs, he said that the US supports discussion between NATO members, “as between Turkey and Greece”, adding that he has spoken with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about the progress being made in NATO and expressing the hope that these talks can continue in a serious way.
Mr Pompeo closed his remarks by referring to the 200th anniversary since the Greek revolution that led to the foundation of the modern Greek state and thanked the prime minister once again for his hospitality.
Mr Mitsotakis expressed satisfaction that the US official was his guest in Chania, Crete, where his own family is from, and said Crete “is not just the heart of Greece and the heart of the eastern Mediterranean, but also where the strong pulse of Greek-US cooperation. It is no accident that we are now speaking from the 115th Battle Wing of our Air Force.”
Mr Mitsotakis spoke of the strategic location of the Souda base, and the modernisation of 84 F-16 jets and he also noted important joint investments in Greek shipyards.
“However, it is expanding to other fields and areas. As in Alexandroupolis, which is emerging as a hub for the transfer of US natural gas to [Europe]…and the privatisation of the port is underway. The same applies to the port of Kavala,” he said.
“An important new bilateral agreement was signed for private-public partnerships in the field of innovation. This is another proof of the leading role that Greece plays in the Balkans, to which it is returning dynamically after an absence of almost 10 years.
“Our peninsula is a geographical point where many of the common interests of Greece and the USA are gathered. Thessaloniki is and will always be their dynamic base.”
“In our discussions, security issues in the Eastern Mediterranean remain predominant. A sensitive area which has recently been tested by the aggression of Turkey,” Mr Mitsotakis said.
“With provocative actions outside of international law, with an unnecessarily extreme rhetoric that charges the atmosphere but also with tactics that do not often confirm the sincerity of its intentions; In other words, with actions that are contrary to the values of the western world, which Ankara is, unfortunately, also continuing in the waters of Cyprus, as you have also witnessed during your visit to Nicosia.
“The Greek response to all the challenges is always the defence of our national rights,” the prime minister noted.
He noted that Pompeo understands “that tension between NATO member-states ultimately benefits no one and [he] opposed every unilateral action that a priori torpedoes any dialogue in good faith – and also that international law must remain a steady compass for all.”