Athens reaps benefits of PM’s US visit

The almost three-day visit to the US by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which was accompanied not only by the warm meeting in the White House with US President Joe Biden, but also by the historic speech in the US Congress, was welcomed in Athens for the positives he took away.

Firstly, the visit marked a new page in bilateral relations with the most powerful democracy on the planet, with the US president himself saying ties between the two countries are at the best point ever. This was also evident in the prolonged and frequent applause that Mitsotakis received during his speech to the Joint Session of Congress, with the Greek premier stressing how the two countries are united at a critical crossroads.

Secondly, Mitsotakis’ presence in the US clearly placed Greece on the world map the day after the war in Ukraine. The turmoil in Ukraine will end at some point and it is certain that there will be a redistribution of power and a review of world balances.

With its unwavering stance on Ukraine, Greece positioned itself as an integral part of the West, and unequivocally aligned with world’s democracies.

Mitsotakis’ remarks to Congress about the ills of revisionism and the references he made on this front to Russia and Turkey were clearly intended to block the approval of the Turkish F-16 upgrade. Sources say this goal was most likely achieved, but remains to be seen.

Finally, Mitsotakis appeared to have rallied the Greek diaspora around a common cause, something not considered easy, as he fittingly, and symbolically, ended his trip with a speech to members of the Greek-American community.

Shortly before leaving Washington on Tuesday night, the prime minister addressed senior members of the Greek-American community in the presence of Archbishop Elpidophoros of the United States of America, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Bob Menendez, insisting that the government will not stop its efforts to modernize Greece.

He also stressed that the most interesting development that is taking place in the country now is that those who left Greece in the years of economic crisis are now returning, adding that the reason is primarily the long-term perspective of the country, moving in the right direction.