reek Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will conduct a rare address to the US Congress in May to debate "democratic values" in the context of Russia's war on Ukraine.
On May 17, a day after his meeting with President Joe Biden, Mitsotakis will speak to a joint assembly of the Senate and House of Representatives.The visit is intended to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Greek independence, which occurred last year, but was postponed owing of the Covid epidemic.
In a letter to Mitsotakis, Pelosi emphasized Greece's importance as the cradle of democracy and expressed interest in hearing his "message of democratic principles."
"As our globe approaches a critical juncture in the struggle between forces of democracy and authoritarianism," Pelosi said, "the transatlantic alliance remains important to the world's future of freedom."
Mitsotakis has joined other Western leaders in endorsing Russian sanctions and giving aid to Ukraine.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had spoken with Mitsotakis again and that "we truly appreciate" Greece's actions in Ukraine.
Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee, "Greece has stepped up in a huge manner."
However, in Greece, which has cultural ties to Russia and where anti-Americanism is strong, public opinion is divided.
Because of growing concerns with Turkey, which has been asserting itself in the Eastern Mediterranean, successive Greek presidents have forged closer ties with Washington.
Every year, the US Congress comes together for a joint address by the president, but invitations to foreign leaders are an uncommon occurrence.
In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to parliamentarians via video link from Kyiv.
[zombify_post]
0 Comments