During his recent trip to the US, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias had the opportunity to highlight the role of Greek Americans as well as the importance of the ongoing close cooperation between the Greek and Jewish communities in the United States.
In that context he also noted the importance of the strategic cooperation “3+1” scheme which offers Greece, Cyprus and Israel, with the active support of the US, the ability to play their role as a factor of stability in the East Med.
In an event organized by the Hellenic American Leadership Council and the American Jewish Committee, to honor the latter’s former CEO, David Harris, Dendias, who is the first member of the Greek government to visit the US after the Trump administration came to power, noted how the Jewish-American and Greek-American communities have come even closer during recent years, united not only by the same values and democratic principles, but also by their common aims in the volatile region of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Athens and Nicosia enter the strategic equation with significant added value in geopolitical and economic terms, a fact recently confirmed by the increased interest and active engagement of US energy giants ExxonMobil and Chevron in exploration efforts offshore Greece and Cyprus.
An important point for the administration when dealing with Greek Americans is the realization that the latter serving as a bridge between the US and Greece and Cyprus promote America’s interests; that is how their role should be assessed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz.
The defense minister’s visit to Chicago highlights another aspect pertaining to the Greek-American community, which is its strong presence all over America.
The US is not just Washington or New York. And Greek Americans, from professionals and businesspeople to scientists and politicians, are having a significant impact across the country.
Candidates of both parties of Greek descent get elected in many different regions, from California to New Hampshire and from Florida to Nevada, both on the local and national levels. And they are often part of administrations; at present we have the exemplary cases of Michael Rigas, nominated for deputy secretary of state, and Michael Kratsios as the president’s science adviser and head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
It is imperative that this presence, and the power that comes with it, are utilized wisely, through the necessary planning and coordination, to the benefit of the community itself, as well as Hellenism as a whole.