Greek American Membership Organizations Endorse the 2006 Policy Statement: The U.S. Should Establish a "Special Relationship" with Greece
WASHINGTON, DC-- American Hellenic Institute President Gene Rossides
announced today that the major Greek American membership organizations
endorse the 2006 policy statement: The U.S. Should Establish a
"Special Relationship" with Greece. Prepared by the
American Hellenic Institute, it is part of the 2006 Greek American Policy
Statements. The major membership organizations are: the Order of AHEPA,
the Hellenic American National Council, the Cyprus Federation of America,
the Panepirotic Federation of America, the Pan-Macedonian Association of
America, the PanCretan Association of America, and the American Hellenic
Institute. The endorsed statement follows:
The U.S. Should Establish a "Special Relationship" with Greece
The U.S. has important and
vital interests in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
These include the significant energy, commercial and communications
resources that transit the region. The U.S. should look to Greece as
an immensely valuable link in the region.
We have stated for decades that Greece is the strategic, political and
economic key for the U.S. in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern
Mediterranean and a proven and reliable ally. The U.S. should do more to
capitalize on Greece's location and close cultural, political, and
economic ties to the Mediterranean countries, Western Europe, Southeastern
Europe, and the Middle East in advancing U.S. interests. We call for
a "special relationship" between the U.S. and Greece for the
mutual benefit of both countries.
Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice met with Greece's Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis in Washington,
DC on March 24, 2005 for a working visit. Secretary Rice stated the
following to the media:
"We had an opportunity to review the excellent state of relations
between Greece and the United States, the outstanding bilateral
relationship that we have, and also our joint desire and commitment for
the spread of democracy and freedom throughout the world.
Greece has been a strong supporter of the work that we are doing in the
broader Middle East, in Afghanistan, in supporting the people of Iraq as
they are concerned and looking forward to a better future based on the
elections that they've had.
We also had a very good opportunity to talk about the Balkans, a place in
which we believe great progress has been made. But, of course, there
are many challenges yet to meet. And we have no better friend in
meeting these and other challenges than our friends in Greece."
Minister Molyviatis said:
"Indeed, we had an excellent opportunity to review our excellent
state of bilateral relations and also to express and reaffirm our
determination to further promote that relationship into strategic
cooperation on several fields.
We, of course, discussed the Balkans and the Mediterranean. And we
greeted with satisfaction this mobility toward the spread of democracy and
freedom in many parts of the world....
Also we discussed, of course, Cyprus and we considered ways in which we
can promote our common objective, which is the reunification of the island
through negotiations on the basis of the Annan plan.
And, frankly, I could say that we have both agreed to further strengthen
our cooperation in all fields."
Secretary Rice responded to a
question about "working together on strategic areas. Could you
be more specific where Greece and the United States could work
together?"
"Of course. First of all, we did talk about our joint
responsibilities as members of NATO and the responsibilities that we hold
in trying to promote stable and progressive developments in the Balkans.
That is a place where we have had very, very good cooperation, and where
it's extremely important that that process move forward.
We have some reports that will be coming forward, for instance, on Kosovo.
We believe that this is an area that is ripe for cooperation between
Greece and the United States as well as the other members of NATO.
I can remember quite well, for instance, at our recent NATO ministerial,
that we talked about the need for there to be constant dialogue and
discussion as we move forward through the spring on the situation in
Kosovo.
We also talked about the Mediterranean, where we share interests and where
there are now very active movements toward democracy and perhaps we could
find a strategic common purpose there.
The foreign minister also talked about what Greece might be able to do as
we continue to try to stabilize Afghanistan, and as we try to provide for
the Iraqi people support for their newly elected transitional government.
So this is wide ranging.
We did not have a chance to talk today, although we have talked, of
course, in the past, about the Middle East and the Israeli- Palestinian
issue, where Greece has an important role with us to play in helping the
Palestinian people to develop institutions that can be the institutions on
which a state can be built.
So we have a broad strategic course ahead of us.
And the good news is that since Greece and the United States are good
friends, since we're both democracies, since we work together in a number
of institutions, well, we look forward to using all of those opportunities
to promote this agenda, which is focused very much on the spread of
freedom and democracy, and I might say, also, greater prosperity to the
people of the world."
On March 20, 2005, President
Bush met with Prime Minister Konstantine Karamanlis at the White House.
The following are their welcoming remarks from the Oval Office:
President Bush: "Thank you all for coming. It's my pleasure to
welcome the Prime Minister back. It's good to see you, sir.
America and Greece have got a strategic partnership. That's important.
It's important for our respective peoples, and it's important we work
together to spread freedom and peace.
I want to welcome you here. Last time you were here, we were talking about
the Olympics. I told the Prime Minister I was confident that the
government would make sure the Olympics were secure. I was so confident I
sent my family. And not only did you keep your word, my parents and my --
some of my relatives had a fabulous time in a spectacular country.
I look forward to visiting with you on a variety of subjects -- the
freedom agenda, freedom in the greater Middle East, the Balkans. I look
forward to talking to you about how best we can work together to continue
to spread liberty. So I'm proud you're here, and welcome to the United
States."
Prime Minister Karamanlis: "Well, it's my second visit with President
Bush within almost a year. And I'm happy to say that this reflects the
excellent bilateral relations we have, and, of course, our determination
to further our partnership to promote the areas of mutual interest, the
common goals we have. And I think that it's going to be the outcome of
this meeting, as well, to keep working closely in matters which are very
important to both of us in both countries."
On March 23, 2006, Secretary
Rice met with Dora Bakoyannis, the newly appointed Foreign Minister of
Greece, and reiterated her views on the strategic partnership between the
U.S. and Greece. Their press conference remarks after their meeting
are as follows:
Secretary Rice: "Good afternoon. I would like to welcome Greek
Foreign Minister Bakoyannis -- Dora -- to the State Department and here to
Washington, D.C. This is her first trip to Washington, D.C. as Foreign
Minister. I have to say that I'm a great admirer of the work that she did
as the Mayor of Athens, a city that is near and dear to the hearts of most
people around the world, and she has been Foreign Minister now for a
little over a month and it's delightful to have her here in Washington.
We've had a great opportunity to discuss our strategic partnership with
Greece. This is a relationship that is first and foremost, of course,
based on values. It is a relationship that recognizes the seminal role of
Greece as a cradle of those values and recognizes that in the modern era
in which we find ourselves now with so many challenges that Greece is a
stalwart partner in the spread of democratic values, whether it be in
Greece's work in the Broader Middle East Initiative, in which we've all
been involved, promoting stability and prosperity in the Balkans, fighting
terrorism and, of course, seeking the reunification of Cyprus on the basis
of democratic values.
We have had a very useful discussion of these issues, as well as the
concerns of NATO in Afghanistan, in the training mission in Iraq, in
Sudan. In other words, it's been a very broad and good discussion and I
look forward to many, many more with Dora over the years.
So welcome and the floor is yours."
Foreign Minister Bakoyannis: "Thank you, Condi, and thank you for the
nice words about Athens. We had a very fruitful and constructive meeting
with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and I thank her for this
invitation. The U.S. and Greece enjoy an historic relationship. It is the
relationship between the world's most powerful democracy and the world's
oldest democracy, the birth place of our shared values and ideals.
In our talks we sought effective ways of enhancing this relationship. We
discussed developments in the western Balkans, a region of strategic
importance for Greece, where we have a strong political and economic
presence. We agreed that the future of the western Balkans lies in Europe,
that any solution to the problem of Kosovo may take into account all parts
concerned and the stability of the region.
We believe in a united bicommunal Cyprus. As I had the opportunity to
stress to my colleague a solution to the Cyprus problem will only be
viable if it is based on relevant Security Council resolutions, the UN
Secretary General's sets of proposals and the norms of the EU to which
Cyprus belongs.
We both support Turkey's European aspirations, but I must say that Turkish
European future lies in its own hands on the application of the European
norms and practices, both inside Turkey and in their relationships with
the neighbors, particularly Greece and Cyprus.
We discussed all major international issues, especially the Middle East,
Iran and, naturally, Iraq. Greece enjoying a 14 centuries-long
relationship with the Islamic world is well suited to play a role in the
better understanding between the West and Islam."
* * * *
Q.: "Madam Secretary, could you please give me the substance of this
strategic partnership? Thank you."
Secretary Rice: "Thank you. What does it mean to be a strategic
partner? It means first and foremost that you share the desire to solve
problems in the international system and to come up with solutions and to
execute those solutions together on the basis of shared values, on the
basis of common concerns.
It doesn't mean that we always agree on every element concerning a
particular problem. But it does mean that Greece and the United States,
from the strongest possible basis of shared values, from our alliance in
NATO, from the work that we are doing together in the Balkans, that we are
now reaching past that to the broader Middle East where, as Dora said,
Greece has a long history of relations with the Muslim world and is
therefore an anchor for any outreach to the Muslim world and the efforts
to help to support those who want a democratic future.
It means that we work together on the NATO efforts in Afghanistan. It
means that we work together on the NATO efforts for training in Iraq. So I
see it as a declaration of, first and foremost, our shared values but also
our desire to use that very strong basis to solve common problems
together. Even if from time to time we may not agree about everything,
this is an excellent relationship and the United States is delighted to
have such a good friend and partner in Greece."
In 2001 the American Hellenic
Institute Foundation published Greece's Pivotal Role in World War II and
its Importance to the U.S. Today with an introduction by General Andrew J.
Goodpaster, USA (Ret.), the former Supreme Commander of NATO.
In World War I, Greece sided with the allies and played an important role
in the Balkans, while Turkey fought against the U.S. as an ally of
Germany. Greece's actions also prevented Turkish troops from reaching the
Western Front and saved many American and allied lives.
In World War II, with Europe under the heel of Nazi Germany and with
Britain fighting the Axis powers alone, Greece's courageous reply on
October 28, 1940 of OXI (No!) to Mussolini's surrender ultimatum echoed
throughout the world and give support to Britain and the forces of
freedom.
The defeat of Mussolini's army by Greek forces, actually pushing them back
into Albania, gave the first taste of victory to the allies against
fascism. Greece's success against Mussolini forced Hitler to change his
plans and divert valuable troops, arms and equipment to invade Greece.
Hitler's invasion of Greece delayed his invasion of the Soviet Union by
several weeks, from April to June 1941. That delay has been credited by
military experts and historians as one of the main factors that prevented
Hitler's defeat of the Soviet Union.
Karl E. Meyer, in a New York Times editorial footnote, stated that Hitler
believed that the several weeks it took Germany to subdue Greece was
responsible for his losing the war against the Soviet Union. (April 16,
1994, A20, col.1)
General Andrew J. Goodpaster, former Supreme Commander of NATO, has
characterized Greece's actions in World War II as a turning point in the
war.
But the glory of Greece's actions in World War II did not end there.
During the harsh Nazi occupation, Greek resistance activities forced the
Germans to retain a large number of troops in Greece, which otherwise
would have been deployed to Eastern Front and in North Africa, and could
have tipped the balance in both of those campaigns. Six hundred thousand
Greeks, 9 percent of their population, died from fighting and Nazi
Germany's starvation policy.
In contrast with Greece, Turkey failed to honor its treaty with Britain
and France to enter the war, remained neutral and profited from both
sides. In fact, Turkey supplied Hitler with chromium, a vital resource to
Nazi Germany's armaments industry and war effort. Albert Speer, Hitler's
armaments chief, wrote in November 1943 that the loss of chromium supplies
from Turkey would end the war in about 10 months. See F. Weber, The
Evasive Neutral 44 (1979) and A. Speer, Inside the Third Reich 316-17,
405, 550 n. 10, (1970).
While the rest of Europe was rebuilding following World War II, Greece was
involved in a civil war from 1946 to 1949 against communist forces
supported by Stalin and Tito and supplied by them from the Skopje area of
Yugoslavia. Greece's defeat of the communists, with the Greek blood and
American military aid provided under the Truman Doctrine (but without
American combat troops), was an historic turning point in the post-World
War II Cold War period.
Stopping the communist takeover of Greece, including Crete with its Souda
Bay naval base, prevented Stalin's domination of the Aegean Sea and
Eastern Mediterranean and the strategic encirclement by the Soviet Union
of the Middle East oil resources including the Persian Gulf area. In
1998 the American Hellenic Institute Foundation published The Truman
Doctrine-A Fifty-Year Retrospective with the distinguished Academy of
Political Science. In that volume General Goodpaster called the
Truman Doctrine and Greece's role a turning point in world history.
Secretary Rice's comments give hope that finally the U.S. recognizes the
full value of Greece to the U.S. for their mutual benefit. Words are
important, but need to be followed by action. Secretary Rice can
give meaning to her words by positive action on the key issues: Cyprus,
the Aegean, FYROM, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Halki Patriarchal
School of Theology and Albania.
Greece is a vigorous and stable democracy with a rapidly modernizing
economy that serves as a stimulus for regional growth. It is also
the only Balkan country that can boast membership in the EU and its
European Monetary Union (EMU) as well as NATO. In combination, these
factors make Greece a regional force for political stability and
democracy-building and a sensible partner for U.S. strategic interests,
economic cooperation and investment. Greece hosted an exceptional 2004
Olympic Games, which enhanced Greece's visibility worldwide.
The 1999 Kosovo crisis
confirmed Greece's leadership role in the Balkans and its utility as the
U.S.'s pivotal partner in the wider region. Greece coordinates the
administration of EU aid to the Balkans and is itself a source of
developmental capital, private investment, and know-how in the newly
emerging Balkan economies.
The 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War confirmed that the Souda Bay,
Crete naval base and airbases in Greece are the most important Eastern
Mediterranean bases for the projection of U.S. power. There is
clearly nothing remotely comparable in Turkey. In 2005, there were
approximately 11,000 visits by U.S. military ships and planes to Souda Bay
and its adjacent air base.
The U.S. should establish a "special relationship" with Greece
by broadening and deepening its relationship through a coordinated program
in the strategic, political, military, commercial and cultural fields.
Establishing such a relationship with Greece will allow the U.S. to
capitalize on Greece's unique assets, thereby increasing the prospects for
achieving the U.S.'s long-term goals of political stability, economic
progress and democracy in Southeastern Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean
and the Middle East.
