Greek PM Kyriakos Mitstakis met with US Vice President Kamala Harris on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference where then two exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine and the Eastern Mediterranean.

“We agreed that Greek-American relations are at the best level in their history,” said Mitsotakis in a conversation with Greek journalists after meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris on the sidelines of the Munich Conference.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also pointed out that “there is great support from both the US and Europe for the Greek-Egyptian electricity interconnection. “Greece’s strategic importance in the Eastern Mediterranean is being strengthened especially now that there is great interest and discussion on the issue of strengthening energy sources in the EU.”

According to sources, Mitsotakis informed Harris about the government’s intention to vote in the next few weeks on the Greece-US Defence Agreement. The US side reportedly believes that Athens has a key strategic role to play in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, especially in the field of energy, at a time when talks on the EU’s energy independence are becoming more pressing in light of the tension on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

On the Greek-Turkish front, Kyriakos Mitsotakis reportedly informed Kamala Harris about the absurd escalation of Turkish rhetoric regarding the islands of the Eastern Aegean. As it turns out, Athens has made it clear to all partners and allies that any improvement in Greek-Turkish and consequently Euro-Turkish relations is becoming very difficult as long as the same rhetoric continues.

Well-informed sources emphasise that the Mitsotakis-Harris meeting reaffirmed the active American interest in investing in our country, especially in the field of infrastructure and in this case for the ports of Igoumenitsa, Kavala, and Alexandroupolis.

Regarding the crisis in Ukraine, Athens believes the diplomatic channels remain open despite the escalation seen on the ground. It was also stressed that the unity in the Euro-Atlantic edifice is not in question, but also that Russia will face severe sanctions in the event of tension escalating into an armed conflict.