The foundations for constructive cooperation between the US and Greece were laid yesterday by Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and the new American ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle, who immediately after presenting her credentials to the President of the Republic, Constantine Tasoulas, visited the Greek Foreign Ministry.
Although the meeting was ceremonial in nature, diplomatic sources speaking to parapolitika.gr revealed that George Gerapetritis and Kimberly Guilfoyle also touched on initial bilateral issues, with the dominant topic being the organization of the 6th Round of the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, which will be held in our country this year, most likely in December, bringing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Athens.
What Rubio’s presence in Athens signals
The presence of the American official signals the strategic role that the Trump administration assigns to Greece, with all that this entails for open issues in the Southeastern Mediterranean. The strategic dialogue agenda topics were touched upon “briefly” in the Gerapetritis-Guilfoyle meeting. As the same diplomatic sources told parapolitika.gr, “the two sides will work closely, immediately and intensively to organize the thematic agenda of the strategic dialogue.”
The 6th Round of the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue had also been discussed by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou, who has taken responsibility for the organization, with the new American ambassador to Athens during their first meeting in September in Washington.
Messages from the Gerapetritis-Guilfoyle meeting
According to the same sources, in their 50-minute meeting on Tuesday, the Greek Foreign Minister and the new ambassador declared their intention to cooperate “closely, immediately, intensively to deepen the Greece-US strategic partnership.” The two sides also confirmed that there is “common understanding and common will between Greece and the US to establish Greece’s role as an energy hub in the region.”
The meeting between George Gerapetritis and Kimberly Guilfoyle took place in a pleasant atmosphere, as described by Foreign Ministry associates. Mr. Gerapetritis and Ms. Guilfoyle had not met in the past, although they had previously had a series of telephone contacts on matters related to Greek-American relations.
Ms. Guilfoyle arrived at the Vasilissis Sofias building by car, without her close associates and accompanied by Embassy staff.
The Foreign Ministry announcement issued after the meeting confirms expectations for productive cooperation between the Ministry and the new ambassador. As stated, “the excellent level of Greece-US relations was confirmed. The Foreign Minister and the American ambassador agreed to work together to strengthen bilateral cooperation and the strategic partnership.”
