Pyatt: Greece a key partner in America's strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean

Relations between Greece and the U.S. are at an all-time high, U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt said early on Wednesday after the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. "It is an excellent period for U.S.-Greek relations. After a decade of economic crisis, Greece has transformed and is a source of solutions, a pillar of stability and a critical partner in America's broader strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond," the U.S. ambassador said. He further noted that as history has shown, the two countries are stable partners and allies.

Pyatt also said that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has made great efforts to reduce bureaucracy, eliminate capital controls, expand Greece's role as a regional energy hub and reduce taxes. "As a result, his message is that Greece is open to businesses and ready for U.S. investment," he added. Focusing on the prime minister's visit to the U.S., the U.S. ambassador pointed out that he is capitalising on the momentum created after President Trump signed the EastMed Act into law on December 20, recognising major U.S. interests in the Middle East, as well as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit in Athens last October to sign the updated Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement.

He also referred to the signing by Greece, Cyprus and Israel of the EastMed pipeline agreement on January 2, "based on the 3 + 1 framework that Secretary of State Pompeo put into operation last March in Jerusalem." Finally, the U.S. ambassador noted that there is no doubt that "Greece is a country that shares our goals and values," adding that the United States will continue to invest in the strategic partnership with Greece.