Following Greek Prime Minister’s Address to Joint Meeting of Congress, SFRC Approves Resolution Celebrating Enduring United States-Greece Partnership
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the below statements following the Committee’s approval of their bipartisan resolution welcoming His Excellency Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece, to the United States for an address to a joint meeting of Congress. The resolution was originally introduced concurrently with Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“As we told Prime Minister Mitsotakis during his visit to the U.S. Capitol: Greece will continue to have a stalwart friend and ally in the United States,” Chairman Menendez said. “The U.S.-Greece relationship is rooted in shared devotion to advancing democracy, shoring up energy and security partnerships, and safeguarding human rights worldwide. With this bipartisan resolution, we reaffirm yet again our commitment to continue growing that bond for generations to come.”
“Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of the NATO alliance. Greece has long been a leader in its contributions to NATO’s collective defense, and I’m grateful its ports are increasingly integrated into NATO’s transport structure,” said Ranking Member Risch. “Today’s committee passage of this resolution reaffirms Congress’ support for the U.S.-Greece partnership as we confront new shared challenges. I was glad to welcome Prime Minister Mitsotakis to the Senate last month and look forward to working with him in the months ahead.”
117TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. CON. RES.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself and Mr. RISCH) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Welcoming the Prime Minister of Greece to the United States
for an address to a joint meeting of Congress.
Whereas the concept of democracy—that the people have the
power to govern—was developed in ancient Greece;
Whereas the United States and Greece have enjoyed more
than 150 years of diplomatic relations and share deep
cultural connections and values;
Whereas the United States and Greece have been partners
and allies in all major international conflicts throughout
modern history;
Whereas Greece heroically resisted Axis forces at a crucial
moment in World War II, forcing Adolf Hitler to change
his timeline and delaying the attack on the Soviet Union;
Whereas Winston Churchill said that ‘‘if there had not been
the virtue and courage of the Greeks, we do not know
which the outcome of World War II would have been’’
and ‘‘no longer will we say that Greeks fight like heroes,
but that heroes fight like Greeks’’;
Whereas the metropolitan area of Mariupol, Ukraine, where
forces of the Russian Federation have committed uncon-
scionable war crimes against the local population during
the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by President Vladimir
Putin, is home to approximately 120,000 ethnic Greeks;
Whereas, after forces of the Russian Federation bombed a
hospital in Ukraine on March 9, 2022, Prime Minister of
Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, on March 18, 2022,
‘‘Greece is ready to rebuild the maternity hospital in
Mariupol, the center of Greek minority in Ukraine, a city
dear to our hearts and the symbol of barbarity of the
war’’;
Whereas Greece has sent at least 4 humanitarian aid ship-
ments to Ukraine, including non-perishable food, bottled
water, antiseptics, medical supplies, and power genera-
tors;
Whereas Greece has provided Ukraine with security assist-
ance, including Kalashnikov rifles and portable rocket
launchers;
Whereas membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
tion (NATO) has further enhanced cooperation between
the United States and Greece;
Whereas Greece is an integral part of the European Union;
Whereas the commitment of the United States and Greece to
security cooperation led to the Mutual Defense Coopera-
tion Agreement Between the Government of the United
States of America and the Government of the Hellenic
Republic, done at Athens July 8, 1990, which was up-
dated in 2021 to enhance defense ties between the coun-
tries and promote stability in southeastern Europe;
Whereas the Greek port of Alexandroupoli has been instru-
mental in allowing the United States to help reinforce the
eastern flank of NATO and deter further aggression by
the Russian Federation against allies and partners of the
United States;
Whereas the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit of
Alexandroupoli, recently inaugurated, will contribute sig-
nificantly to energy diversification of Greece and south-
eastern Europe, especially in light of the invasion of
Ukraine by the Russian Federation;
Whereas the United States has demonstrated its support for
the trilateral partnership of Greece, Israel, and Cyprus
by enacting into law the Eastern Mediterranean Security
and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 (title II of division
J of Public Law 116–94) and through joint engagement
with Greece, Israel, and Cyprus in the 3+1 format;
Whereas this support was bolstered in the United States-
Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act
of 2021 (subtitle B of title XIII of Public Law 117–81),
establishing a 3+1 Interparliamentary Group to discuss
the expansion of cooperation in other areas of common
concern;
Whereas the United States is home to a robust Greek-Amer-
ican community of approximately 3,000,000 people, who
meaningfully contribute to the cultural fabric of the
United States; and
Whereas the Speaker of the House has invited Prime Min-
ister Mitsotakis to address a joint meeting of Congress
on May 17, 2022:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives1
concurring), That the Senate
(1) warmly welcomes Prime Minister of Greece
Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the United States;
(2) eagerly anticipates the address of Prime
Minister Mitsotakis before a joint meeting of Con-
gress;
(3) appreciates the historic and present role of
Greece in the defense of democracy, including
through the provision of support to Ukraine amid
the ongoing brutal and unprovoked invasion by the
Russian Federation;
(4) commits to a continued partnership with
Greece to bolster energy cooperation through the
3+1 format and help accelerate energy security in
Europe;
(5) reaffirms the steadfast and bipartisan sup-
port for the friendship between the people and Gov-
ernments of the United States and Greece; and
(6) appreciates the important role that Greek-
Americans play in supporting the strong bonds that
exist between the United States and Greece.
