The world is going through a difficult time, “and we are all in this together,” US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt said during a press briefing on Friday, in reference to the coronavirus pandemic.
Likening the difficulty the United States is facing with Covid-19 in nine states to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the beginning of World War II, Pyatt noted that the US worked with the industrial and research sectors and with its allies to rebuild the country. Welcoming the “excellent collaboration” between Greece and the US, the American ambassador said he had discussed with Minister of Development and Investments Adonis Georgiadis the issues businesses faced with the pandemic.
Building on the dynamic of the strategic relationship between the two countries, Pyatt reiterated his country’s commitment to working closely with its international partners.
The ambassador also referred to the migration crisis, stressing his country’s readiness to help and acknowledging that Greece is lifting a heavy burden on top of facing other challenges.
Asked about his recent visit to the Evros Greek-Turkish border with US State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Palmer, Pyatt said both had always been clearly concerned about how Turkey has exploited the migration crisis and migrants themselves for political reasons. He noted that he is the only US ambassador to have traveled to Evros with a senior Washington official, and he welcomed the Greek government’s mobilization of its EU partners to face the crisis.
In addition, the ambassador spoke highly of the government’s speedy implementation of the digital reforms agenda.
In a message on Twitter following the briefing, Pyatt wrote: “ Happy to speak with diplomatic editors today about American leadership in mobilizing international response to Covid-19, support to Greece from American businesses, and US appreciation for the Greek govt’s quick actions to contain the spread. We are in this together.”
Source: ANA-MPA
