Turkey’s violation of Cyprus’ EEZ and overall provocative behavior towards Greece was the main topic of the conversation between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Athens on Saturday.
The Greek PM welcomed the U.S. Secretary at Maximo Mansion at 10:20 a.m. Present at the meeting were Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, the U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt and other officials of the two delegations.
The meeting was part of talks on defense cooperation between the two countries and lasted one hour.
Mitsotakis addressed Ankara’s provocative acts and statements against Cyprus and Greece. “Turkey’s recent actions on Plot 7 9 of the island’s EEZ clearly violate Cyprus’s sovereign rights,” the prime minister said, noting that the U.S. has interests in the region and that Cyprus only seeks respect for International Law.
The Greek prime minister spoke further about Ankara’s extreme rhetoric and spoke of other actions that challenge the sovereign rights of Greece and Cyprus, noting that Turkey‘s activities are incompatible with good neighborly relations and International Law.
The prime minister underlined the historically good relations between Greece and the United States that were forged with the two World Wars and the significant presence of the Greek community in the U.S. He emphasized that celebrations for the 200 years of Greece’s independence in 2021 will provide an opportunity to highlight and deepen this historical, political and cultural relationship.
He also stressed that the second round of strategic dialogue between the two countries takes place at a time when Greece, after 10 years of economic hardship, is now on the path of recovery and growth.
Regarding the talks on defense cooperation between the two allies, “Mutual defense cooperation will be particularly beneficial, especially for establishing stability and security in the region”
Concerning defense cooperation, the prime minister stressed: “it can be mutually beneficial, in particular for establishing stability and security in the region.”
Mitsotakis also referred to the issue of U.S. companies’ interest in investing in Greece, noting Pfizzer’s, Cisco’s investments, Onnyx’s investment in Syros’ shipyards, and EXXON’s indirect interest in hydrocarbon exploration off Crete. He emphasized tourism cooperation and the arrival of American tourists, scholarships for Greek students and exchange programs and the “abolition” of visas for Greek citizens.
The Greek prime minister added that there is also cooperation in the energy sector with liquefied gas and hydrocarbon research.
On his part, Pompeo said that Greece-U.S. relations are at their best, and will even get better from now on.
At the closing of the meeting with the Greek prime minister, the U.S. Secretary of State, smiled and referred to the Greek-American community in Kansas, where he comes from, saying, “I hope we do well, otherwise they will tell me.”
After Maximos Mansion, the U.S. Secretary and his delegation went to the Ministry of National Defense where he had a meeting with Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos on the particulars of the Greece-U.S. defense cooperation.
After that, Pompeo met with his Greek counterpart, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the afternoon, Pompeo will deliver a speech at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Cente, and will depart from Athens on Sunday.
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