“We are very happy to welcome you and you are coming at a time when Greek-American relations are at a historic high, without this meaning that we cannot improve them further,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday as he received the new US Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, at the Maximos Mansion.
In a brief discussion in front of the cameras, the prime minister emphasised that there is a broad agenda of issues to be discussed for the deepening of bilateral cooperation. He also noted that Greece is a pillar of regional stability and a traditional ally of the US and, of course, a country of vital importance in matters of regional cooperation, which plays a very important role as a factor of stability in all regional conflicts, including those in the Middle East.
“A country that speaks on an equal basis with the US in relation to energy and particularly on liquefied natural gas in the region, we will also have a very important initiative that coincides with your arrival,” the prime minister added, referring to the P-TEC conference that will take place on Thursday and Friday.
“Greece is the entry point for liquefied natural gas throughout the region. The vertical corridor is also a project of strategic importance for Greece and the US and we look forward to developing it further,” he added.
The prime minister noted that there is also a multitude of issues on which there will be cooperation so that more US investments will come to Greece, especially through large technology companies. Mitsotakis stressed that relations between the two peoples must be made stronger and referred to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence that the United States will celebrate next year. The prime minister welcomed the new ambassador, underlining that he expects constructive cooperation.
On her part, Ambassador Guilfoyle said that it was an honour and privilege for her to be in the cradle of democracy, in Athens, and that she will be here for the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of American Independence. She referred to the important attendees at the summit that will be hosted in Athens and is a milestone for the 3+1 initiative.
She pointed out that the US Secretary of the Interior will be in Greece for the second time in just a few months and underlined the presence of many ministers, deputy ministers and other officials as an indication of the importance given to this political and economic milestone for the promotion of trade and energy as a pillar of security, stressing that bilateral relations are based on very solid foundations and can develop even further.
