“Greece has a strong and long -term strategic cooperation with United States“, Among other things. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairsresponsible for economic diplomacy and extroversion, Tasos Hatzivasiliouwhile participating in a 3+1 discussion in the 6th Eastern Mediterranean Business Summit organized by the Economist in New York.
The debate focused on the geopolitical challenges and the strategic importance of the cooperation of Greece, Cyprus and Israel with the United States. The deputy minister underlined that the ‘3+1’ figure has become a multidimensional partnership, with emphasis on energy, security and technological innovation. In addition, he described the EastMed Gas Forum as an informal energy alliance of the countries that make up it.
He recalled that during the recent meeting of Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis in Washington with his US counterpart Marco Rubio, the prospect of the 3+1 figure was discussed. “Greece has the geo -economic and geopolitical burden to make a decisive contribution to the full use of the 3+1 figure in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Mr Hadjivasiliou said.
Concerning energy security, Mr Hadjivasiliou highlighted the importance of the vertical gas runway and the FSRU Alexandroupolis, stressing that “Greece is a reliable energy hub in Southeast Europe”. At the same time, he referred to Greece’s electrical interconnection projects with Egypt, as well as with Cyprus and Israel, which enhance Europe’s strategic autonomy. “Our primary goal is to differentiate sources, suppliers and energy routes, while promoting synergies,” he said.
Referring to Greek -American relations, Mr Chatzivasiliou said that “the US remains Greece’s most important transactive partner in trade, investment and tourism. Above all, our strategic defense cooperation remains a top priority for Greece, with the aim of tackling security challenges and promoting stability in the neighborhood. “
Concluding, Mr. Hadjivasiliou noted that the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis is steadily supporting multilateral cooperation and investment extroversion, with an emphasis on Greece’s geostrategic role as a bridge between the Middle East, Indo-Pacific and Europe. Indeed, he stressed that Figure 3+1 can be a tool for promoting the idea of the Indian-Middle-Europe Middle-Russian corridor, describing the comparative advantages that can make Greece a natural gateway to India to Europe. Finally, it highlighted the important role of Greek Greek community in the promotion of national interests.