Cooperation between Greece and the US is deeply rooted in history, US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle said at the reception for the 250th anniversary of US Independence Day held at the Cultural Center of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, in the presence of numerous representatives of the political and business leadership.
The US ambassador to Greece underlined the strategic importance of bilateral Greece-US relations, making special reference to cooperation in the fields of energy, defense and investments, while she referred to Greece's acquisition of F-35 fighter jets, stressing that it strengthens the country's deterrent capability within NATO.
“America is a nation of innovators, a nation of creators, of people who dream boldly, work tirelessly and turn hope into reality”, she said.
“On July 4, 1776, a group of visionaries, inspired by ideas born right here, in Athens, dared to chart a new path for themselves and for their descendants”, the US ambassador said and added that with the Declaration of Independence, America's founders boldly announced to the world that they would be the creators of their own destiny.
“The odds were against them, but they did not surrender”, she stressed. “They fought for a future based on the principles of self-government, freedom and the inalienable rights of the individual. And their success is our legacy”.
“Two and a half centuries later, our Democracy continues to be sustained by citizens who understand that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not merely words on paper, but sacred inalienable rights that every generation is called upon to defend”, she stressed characteristically.
As she said, when the American president asked her to serve as US Ambassador to Greece and become the first woman in history to take on this role - it was the greatest honor of her life.
“Greece has always been part of America's story”, she stressed and is there today, she added, “in the historic work we are carrying out together to build a safer, stronger and more prosperous future. That future, I can proudly say, will be powered by American energy”.
She referred to the agreements signed at the P-TEC ministerial meeting last year in Athens, as well as the expanding cooperation of ExxonMobil with Hellenic Energy and Energean in the Ionian Sea, combined with the offshore exploration agreements of Chevron and Hellenic Energy, which “demonstrate what American leadership and Greek ambition can achieve together — the first offshore exploratory drilling in Greece in more than forty years”.
She also said that, thanks to American financing, the Elefsina Shipyards have developed into a thriving industrial asset, have created high-quality jobs for Greek workers and have strengthened critical maritime capabilities.
“President Trump has made American dominance in the fields of shipping and energy cornerstones of our foreign policy, and Greece is an exceptionally valuable partner in this vision”, she said.
“Together, we are building an open and predictable investment climate that strengthens our economies, both today and in the future. This is happening because our two countries know that, when allies build together, our adversaries lose their influence”.
“This is what a strategic partnership looks like: Greater energy resilience, more jobs, greater security, and security begins with readiness — with allies who plan together, train together and stand united when it matters most”.
She referred to Souda Bay, where American and Greek forces work closely together, and to Alexandroupoli, which has been transformed into a strategic gateway and an essential logistics hub for NATO.
“Together, the US and Greece are expanding defense cooperation, strengthening our industrial bases and proving once again that peace can only be preserved through strength”, she noted.
She pointed out that Greece responded to America's call for a fairer sharing of obligations within NATO, making historic investments in the defense sector and advancing the largest modernization of the Greek Armed Forces in recent decades.
“The United States is proud to work with Greece to ensure that the Armed Forces will have the best defense systems the US has to offer”, she noted characteristically. “These are not merely procurement decisions, they are a transformation that will mark an entire generation”.
Soon, she recalled, Greece will join a select group of allies that possess the world's most advanced multirole fighter aircraft, the F-35.
“When Greece flies the F-35, it will fly the same aircraft as the US Air Force. This means greater interoperability, it means that when Greece operates together with American forces — or together with other NATO partners — there will be no discontinuity in configuration, no gap in capabilities”.
She added that the strength of bilateral relations is expressed most clearly also in the enduring ties that unite our peoples, in the American students who help make Greece one of the world's leading destinations for studies, in the Greek students who turn to the US seeking academic excellence and opportunities, in the more than 1.5 million Americans who visit Greece every year and in the tens of thousands who live here.
“It lives in our shared commitment to protect cultural heritage, preserve history and honor a civilization that has shaped the world”, she said and stressed:
“Above all, it lives in the extraordinary Greek diaspora in the US — a community of faith, family, service and achievement — as well as in the spiritual example of the Greek Orthodox Church, which continues to remind the world that freedom is not only a right to be defended, but also a calling to serve a purpose greater than ourselves”.
Greece-US cooperation “is rooted in our shared values of freedom, faith and democracy and is based on a shared responsibility to build a future worthy of the sacrifices, dreams and ideals that brought our nations this far”.
“Under Trump's presidency, America is back”, the US ambassador stressed. “We have returned to our roots as innovators, creators and pioneers. […] And we are doing this together with friends like Greece — reliable partners who share our values, strengthen our security and stand by our side to shape a freer, stronger and more prosperous future”.
“This year, as we celebrate American Independence, we reflect on 250 years of incredible history”, she pointed out.
As President Trump said: “This anniversary is an opportunity to be proud of our past, but it is also an opportunity to turn our gaze forward, to broaden our ambitions and to raise our expectations for what America can become. We will leave our children nothing less than the richest legacy, the most advanced civilization and the highest standard of living in the history of humanity. There has never been anything like it, but nevertheless, the best is yet to come.”
And she concluded: “May the US continue to be a beacon of freedom, may our cooperation with Greece continue to grow stronger and take on greater purpose, and may the promise of freedom endure for generations to come”.
SOURCE: ANA