On Tuesday Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivered a wide-ranging speech before a joint sitting of both houses of the US Congress in which he reflected on the common influence that the founding fathers of both nations drew upon, namely the ancient Greek idea of democracy to also highlight Ukraine’s plight, divided Cyprus, the Parthenon Sculptures and the need to uphold the rule of law over authoritarianism and war.
He said the United States had a crucial role in an ever more complex world faced with climate change, standing up to authoritarian regimes, countering the influence of fake news and disinformation.
“The world looks to the strongest, most prosperous democracy for leadership. You simply cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. Multilateralism is not an option but a necessity,” Mr Mitsotakis told the congressmen and women.
Mr Mitsotakis was flanked by US Vice-President Kamala Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi who introduced him to the house that he was to have addressed last year, but for COVID, to mark the 200th year since the start of the Greek War of Independence from Ottoman rule.
He began the speech celebrating the leadership roles of Ms Pelosi and Ms Harris and noted that Plato had first advocated equal rights for women in his Republic. Continuing the theme of common links, Mr Mitsotakis said Washington’s monuments reminded him of Greece.
“Walking into the Lincoln Memorial is like walking into the Parthenon when it was still intact, before Lord Elgin’s art-collecting hobby defaced it,” the reference to the Parthenon Sculptures in the British Museum was repeated again later in the speech.
The Greek Prime Minister spoke of the influences the democratic ideal had played in the independence movements of both countries: “Our democracies have struggled with internal demons. Our countries endured the horrific pains of civil war, the desperation of economic crisis but we have both emerged stronger and more committed to defend the values that our ancestors gave their lives for. … the bicentennial is more than a moment of celebration. It is a reminder of the values that bind us together but also the tasks we still face.”
He said that after two world wars Europe had come to believe that “international cooperation and a shared commitment to the rule of law now prevailed… We ignored the warning signs flashing red and we even ignored Russia’s actions in Syria and its annexation of Crimea.”
“We Greeks look at what is happening 500 miles to the north, and we are horrified and appalled. … We look, to Kyiv, we look to Odessa, the city where our revolution was first conceived and we look to the tragedy unfolding in eastern Ukraine. Mariupol was a city founded by Catherine the Great in 1778 to resettle Greeks from Crimea fleeing Ottoman rule and what we are seeing once more is a people who are faced with the necessity of fighting to defend themselves in order to secure their future.
“Let me be very clear. We have no animus towards the Russian people with whom we have been bound so closely by faith and by history. But we cannot, we simply cannot be indifferent to a struggle that reminds us so much of our own.”
He went on to call on the US Congress to remember “the open wound that has caused Hellenism unending pain over the past 48 years” – the invasion and division of Cyprus.
“This issue has be resolved by international law and in line with the relevant decisions of the United Nations Security Council. As I told President Biden yesterday, nobody can, nobody will ever accept a two-state solution in Cyprus.”
He said that while Greece remained open to dialogue it would not accept violation of its sovereignty and territorial rights “these include overflights over Greek islands which must stop immediately.
“The last thing that NATO needs at a time when our focus is on helping Ukraine defeat Russia’s aggression is another source of instability on NATO’s south-eastern flank and I ask you to take this into account when you make defence-procurement decisions in the eastern Mediterranean.
He said that Greece had not only renewed its mutual defence and cooperation agreement with the US but had extended the agreement to be renewed after five years instead of on an annual basis as had been the case in the past.
While noting the importance of Souda Bay as the only port capable of accommodating aircraft carriers in the Eastern Mediterranean Mr Mitsotakis also drew attention to the importance of Alexandroupolis in as an energy hub in the region that would help to diversify away from dependence on Russian gas.
“I should tell my colleagues I don’t get that much applause in the Greek Parliament,” he said after loud applause.
He announced that Greece would link its electricity grid with Cyprus and Israel to import cheap renewable energy from the Middle East and Africa into European electricity systems.
He said that the US and Greece were also linked by investment, with Pfizer setting up a large data-analytics centre in Thessaloniki, Microsoft installing data centres near Athens, JP Morgan investing in leading Greek companies.
He said it was evidence that Greece was more than a strategic location or tourist destination, but a dynamic economy that had “overcome the pathogenies of the past and is supporting entrepreneurship and private investment.”
The most important aspect of all was of a young, talented, and well-educated work force.
He warned however that while Greece had a lot to celebrate, it could not remain complacent.
“Our democracies are threatened by the sirens of populists who offer easy solutions to complicated problems. Their voices are heard primarily because income inequality has increased in our societies many feel that they are left behind.”
“Everywhere in the world, the United States, Greece, Europe, social media is polarising public debate. It is transforming the public’s fear into a modern-day version of the Tower of Babel where we speak different languages and we only listen to those who share the same views with us.
“There are three major forces that collectively bind together successful democracies: social capital, strong institutions and common stories that forge a unified national identity.
All three are being eroded and at the same time authoritarian regimes are questioning our ability to deliver prosperity for all our citizens. They are offering their people a Faustian deal: trade political freedom and individual rights for high levels of growth and individual economic wellbeing.
He thanked the US for receiving Greek immigrants over the 20th Century who were seeking a better life.
“For the most part they were simple labourers and they eagerly took what work they could … they would typically apply themselves with great determination and embrace any chance to prosper in life and educate their children. They offered them a brighter future. … They experienced the American dream but never forgot where they came from.
“Today the Greeks who live in the US and the three million Americans who identify themselves as Greeks include some of the most respected leaders in the arts, science, education, medicine, the judiciary and, of course, politics” said Mr Mitsotakis.