US assistant defense secretary to visit Alexandroupolis on Monday
US Assistant Secretary of Defense for international security affairs, Celeste Wallander, will visit the northern city of Alexandroupoli on Monday, where she will be briefed about the port’s role in facilitating the shipment of American and NATO weapons and personnel to Central and Eastern Europe, a local news website reported.
Wallander is accompanying US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who will be in Athens on Monday to meet with the country’s leadership and open 4th Greece-US Strategic Dialogue with Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias on Tuesday.
According to evros-news.gr, the US defence official will meet with the head of Alexandroupoli Port Organization (OLA) Kostas Hatzimichail, but also by the 12th Greek Army Division, where she will be informed about the allied exercises and military activities in the area. Wallander will then travel to the city of Larissa, in central Greece.
Wallander will be accompanied by Deputy Defense Minister Nikos Hardalias, the head of the Greek Armed Forces, General Konstantinos Floros, the US ambassador to Greece, George Tsunis, and US Consul General Elizabeth Lee.
The next stop will be Athens, where she will accompany Blinken in his meetings with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Nikos Dendias and main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras to discuss, among other issues, the bilateral defence cooperation, energy security, the report added.
