As part of the first US-Greece Strategic Dialogue which has been ongoing in Washington since Thursday, the United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, met with the Greek acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Katrougalos.
Following their meeting, Pompeo praised ”Greece’s importance as a pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans,” and commended ”Greece’s contributions as a NATO ally.”
Greece is one of the few members of the NATO alliance which pays more than 2 percent of its country’s GDP for military expenditures, meeting NATO’s targets.
Pompeo also congratulated Greece both for signing the Prespa Agreement with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and for exiting the bailout programs, reminding Katrougalos of America’s continuing support for the country’s recovery.
In a joint statement issued by the governments of the United States and Greece, the two delegations outlined the wide areas of cooperation between the two countries. Special emphasis was placed on energy, defense and security, law enforcement and counter-terrorism, trade and investment as well as people-to-people ties.
The joint statement notes that ”the Strategic Dialogue builds on a year of intensive engagement, highlights the strength of the bilateral relationship, and confirms the mutual commitment of the United States and Greece to deepen cooperation in the areas described”.
The second round of discussions continuing the ”US-Greece Strategic Dialogue” will take place in Greece in 2019.
This afternoon, @SecPompeo delivered remarks with Greek Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs @gkatr as part of the U.S.-#Greece Strategic Dialogue at the State Department. @GreeceMFA @USEmbassyAthens @GreeceInUSA pic.twitter.com/HjrDFYKAJ8
— Department of State (@StateDept) December 13, 2018
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