U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is at the Maximos Mansion, where he is meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as part of his visit to Athens.
Marco Rubio arrived at the Maximos Mansion after delivering a speech at the Pnyx, where he presented his vision for the future of the West and spoke at length about U.S.-Greece relations.
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At the start of the meeting, in front of television cameras, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Marco Rubio had a brief exchange, in which they referred to the historic ties between Greece and the United States, the high level of bilateral relations, and the expansion of cooperation in the fields of defense, energy, trade, and shipping.
A detailed account of the Mitsotakis–Rubio dialogue:
Mitsotakis:
“First of all, welcome, and congratulations on a truly, truly impressive speech. I think it highlighted not only the historical ties between our two countries, but also, I believe, the debt that the Western world owes to ancient Athens.
I recall that you mentioned you were a member of the welcoming committee when I had the opportunity to address a joint session of Congress, and at that time I spoke about this shared journey of our two countries.
And I am very pleased that, at this moment, our relations are at an all-time high. Greece is not merely, I believe, a pillar of stability in a turbulent region, but also a bridge between Europe and the West, the United States, the Middle East, and the Arab world, as well as the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
And in that sense, yes, I would agree with you that we are an indispensable partner for the United States. And I am pleased that our relationship has also moved beyond the traditional security and political partnerships we had built.
Energy and connectivity are now extremely important in our bilateral relations. I am very pleased that Greece has invested significant resources to become a gateway for U.S. LNG into Europe.
We are now providers of energy security for our northern neighbors. Equally important are the connectivity projects, as well as the enormous role that shipping plays in transporting goods around the world.
And, of course, there is our shared interest in maintaining freedom of navigation, which is critical to the functioning of the global economy.
These are just some of the areas in which we have common interests. I am, however, very pleased that the Strategic Dialogue was able to cover all these issues.
Once again, welcome to Athens, and congratulations on a speech that I believe will resonate far beyond the place where it was delivered.”
Rubio:
“First of all, thank you for the welcome and for the opportunity to speak in such a historic venue. I never thought I’d have the chance to do so, and I think it was important.
More than anything else, however, this ties into the central theme of our discussion today, which is the historic alliance between the United States and Greece. And it is not merely an alliance with a long history. It was founded on a very strong foundation of shared culture and shared values, and since then it has grown steadily stronger, as you said.
It has expanded beyond defense issues—on which we have always cooperated—and beyond diplomatic issues—on which we have also always cooperated. It now encompasses the economy, trade, international maritime rights and maritime security, as well as energy.
And, as you said, there are many sources of instability around you in this region. The fact that we have such a strong partner here and can continue to build this relationship in a mutually beneficial way is very important.
I believe there are things we can do in the economy, energy, and trade that will benefit both the Greek and American people. And we are constantly looking for such opportunities.
One of the defining features of our alliance —because when we use the term “alliance,” it may sound as if we’re simply talking about a diplomatic relationship—is that our cooperation is underpinned by a very strong partnership.
We agree on the challenges we face. We agree that we share the same concerns, and, more often than not, we also agree on the right solutions.
When you have partners like this—beyond the strong historical ties that form the foundation of our relationship—there is much to be optimistic about.
I am pleased to be here and look forward to continuing to strengthen this relationship.”
Source: skai.gr
