Pyatt: US-Greece cooperation ‘proceeding at top speed’

Describing Greece as a “pillar of stability in a difficult region,” US Ambassador to Athens Geoffrey Pyatt has confirmed that bilateral relations between the two NATO allies are “proceeding at top speed” following the election of the conservative government in national elections earlier this month.

Addressing the Economist’s 23rd Roundtable with the Government of Greece, Pyatt hailed Greece’s success in persevering through immense challenges “while maintaining its democracy, rejecting extremism, and now paving the way for further economic growth.”

“Greece is a pillar of stability in a difficult region,” Pyatt said adding that the two NATO allies share key strategic goals across a 270 degree arc of challenges from the Western Balkans to the Black Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region.

“Greece has also transformed from being a source of problems to a source of solutions for the strategically important region of the Eastern Mediterranean,” he said.

Pyatt said the US administration is looking forward to working with the new government in Greece “to take our excellent bilateral relations to the next level.”

“We believe that US-Greece cooperation on all fronts – and especially on defense and security – will only enhance Greece’s ability to promote peace and stability in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean,” he said while stressing that Washington has repeatedly urged Ankara to avoid any further provocative actions.

“No one can afford an accident or any other incident that might lead to conflict between NATO allies in the Aegean, and that is why the State Department has been so clear in calling on Turkey to refrain from actions that increase tensions,” he said.

Pyatt welcomed the decision of the new Greek government to recognize Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido, while adding that Washington is working to complete North Macedonia’s NATO membership – made possible in the wake of last year’s name deal between Athens and Skopje.