There was never any question of threatening the Greek government, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said in response to questions about a Wall Street Journal report according to which US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle allegedly said, in the presence of Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, that the United States can trigger political developments in any country it wants, including Greece. The spokesperson added that such a thing certainly would not have been tolerated, while stressing that the US is a strategic partner of Greece in the energy sector. Opposition parties have reacted strongly.

Marinakis’ response

“There was never any question of threatening the Greek Government. And, to be serious about it, such a thing would never have been tolerated either. Now, beyond that, it is true that relations between Greece and the US are closer and more stable today than ever before. It is a strategic relationship with depth, based on mutual respect and shared values. In the energy sector, Greece is a strategic partner of the US, and there are very many examples that demonstrate the direction I have referred to. ExxonMobil and Chevron are investing alongside Greek companies in the exploration of the country’s energy resources, while the first exploratory drilling operation in the Ionian Sea in almost 50 years is scheduled to take place in a few months. At the same time, the Vertical Corridor contributes to the diversification of sources and supply routes, a very important project that strengthens Greece’s energy security and upgrades its role in supplying other third countries as well. The Greek Government is working towards the country’s energy and geopolitical upgrade and the promotion of the national interest. It is not involved in commercial and business rivalries,” the government spokesperson said.

Responding to a similar question, Mr Marinakis also said: “Greece is growing on every level and all these agreements, the ExxonMobil and Chevron drilling operation, the Vertical Corridor, are agreements that have a huge energy and not only energy footprint for Greece. The fact that we will have drilling in the Ionian Sea after 50 years, the fact that giants are coming here, the two biggest giants from the United States of America, that in itself, if one also looks at the discussion about new jobs and how Greece is being strengthened at an energy level, gives one an understanding of how important these developments are for the country. And obviously the Vertical Corridor is also among these major moves that are taking Greece to another level.”

The opposition

Opposition parties have reacted strongly, calling on the government to answer whether the statements reported by the WSJ were actually made. The official opposition’s statement:

In a joint statement, PASOK–Movement for Change’s Head of the Foreign Affairs Sector Dimitris Mantzos and Head of the Energy Sector Fragiskos Parasyris stressed:

“The detailed report by a named US media outlet on an incident allegedly involving the US Ambassador and Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy raises serious and reasonable questions that cannot be answered by the Greek Government’s silence.

The fact that shadows are being created and maintained in the country’s public life – particularly regarding the role of diplomatic missions of third countries in Greece – further deepens citizens’ lack of trust in the state.

The Government, and specifically the competent Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment & Energy, are the only authorities able to provide all necessary explanations and to comment on the validity of the report.

Greece is an independent and sovereign democracy and must act as such in every case and towards everyone, without any exception.”

ELAS

In a statement, ELAS foreign affairs spokesperson Charis Tzimetras said:

“Why has the government remained silent 24 hours after the Wall Street Journal report?

Twenty-four hours have passed since the Wall Street Journal report, according to which the US Ambassador to Greece allegedly made unprecedented and unacceptable comments, in the presence of the Minister of Environment & Energy, Mr Papastavrou, regarding the collapse of the Romanian government and the possibility of something similar happening in Greece.

The government is still silent, without confirming or denying the incident.

We therefore call on the Mitsotakis government to immediately clarify to the Greek people whether this incident actually occurred and, if so, why it has been concealed since March, as well as whether and how it reacted.

In any case, the alleged incident once again demonstrates why the policy of treating the US as a given ally and granting it a blank cheque harms Greece. That is why red lines are needed in our relations with the US as well, which the Mitsotakis government apparently either cannot or does not want to set.”

SYRIZA

“The revelations by the Wall Street Journal regarding the actions of US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle in order to promote American LNG in the wider Balkan region, including, obviously, Greece, are extremely serious and the government cannot remain silent.

According to the report, last March, K. Guilfoyle directly threatened Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, telling him, a few weeks before the collapse of the Romanian government, the following: ‘We can do this in any country we want. We can do it here too.’

The government and the Prime Minister personally must immediately deny whether or not Mr Papastavrou was threatened by the US Ambassador. If this is true, we are not dealing with a simple diplomatic incident, but with an affront to the country’s very political system.

Furthermore, the Mitsotakis government must explain, in light of these developments, its insistence on the Vertical Corridor and on further increasing the country’s dependence on American LNG, in which, according to the report, an entire network is involved, including, alongside Guilfoyle, major companies and lobbyists.”