Athens' solid stance key to US talks

Greece's consistent stance in a series of crises that are unfolding and affecting the security architecture of the wider region, and the importance attached to this by the US, will be a key element of discussions on Friday in Washington between the Greek and American delegations led by Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, within the framework of the 5th Strategic Dialogue.

Indeed, the very launching of a Greek-US Strategic Dialogue was a testament to the very important and close relationship that the two countries have developed. The two delegations are expected to discuss a wide range of issues ranging from regional developments (Ukraine, South Caucasus, Middle East and Red Sea) to the most important aspects of bilateral relations, primarily defense, security and research – as can be seen from the agreements to be signed, including Greece's participation in NASA's Artemis space program. The US wants Greece to be more actively involved on the major fronts in the wider region, as can be seen from the negotiations on continued support for Ukraine with ammunition and weapons systems. Athens insists that without replacing some systems with new ones, it is impossible to move them to the Ukrainian front. It is also clear that Greece, while supporting all the operations in the Red Sea, has chosen to be more actively involved only in the EU operation, which is clearly of a defensive nature. The strategic dialogue is also seen as an excellent opportunity to continue the discussions that began with Blinken's letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis regarding Greece's defense assistance.

The most interesting, complex and visionary part of these contacts is the co-production of Constellation-class frigates, which the US is seriously considering. Tellingly, according to reliable sources, the head of the US Navy's International Programs Office, which is primarily concerned with collaborating with ally fleets on joint platforms, visited Athens last week.