Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns
Testimony on U.S.-Greek Relations Before the
House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe
November 14, 2007
Chairman Wexler, distinguished members of the subcommittee, I
thank you for allowing me to discuss a topic of great importance, one to which this
Administration and the U.S. Congress are both strongly committed: the U.S.-Greece bilateral relationship. I had the privilege of serving as the United
States Ambassador to Greece
from 1997 to 2001, and I am proud to be among the many Philhellenes in the United States. I also want to recognize the Ambassador of
the Hellenic Republic
to the United States,
the Honorable Alexandros Mallias, who is a dynamic advocate for U.S.-Greece
relations. I thank him for his presence
here today.
Let there be no doubt:
Greece is a strategic
Ally of the United States.
As President Bush noted in his
proclamation on Greek Independence Day last March, “Our two nations, were both
born in the belief of liberty and self-determination, sharing common cultural
bonds and national values. These bonds
are strengthened by a mutual commitment to democracy and freedom
worldwide.”
Americans helped the Greeks to win their independence from
the Ottoman Empire in 1821. Americans came to Greece’s aid through the Marshall
Plan from 1947 to 1948. We delivered
invaluable political and military assistance to Greece’s democratic forces during
the Greek civil war. We have been a
strong ally of Greece in
NATO and have admired Greece’s
role in the EU during the last three decades.
We have stood together in every major conflict of the last century,
including the World Wars, the Cold War, and the crises in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.
These common values and beliefs are embodied by the millions of
Americans who trace their ancestry to Greece, have enriched our own
country and inextricably bind our two countries. The Greek-American community is the strongest
and most durable bridge linking our two countries. Greek-Americans have established hundreds of
fraternal organizations that provide support services and friendship to the
Greek people. They have helped to
stimulate trade, investment and two-way tourism. Our Greek-American community represents
American values and interests in their interactions with the Greek people. Greek-Americans are invaluable to this
relationship. I could not have done my
job as Ambassador without them.
As members of the Trans-Atlantic community and as NATO
Allies, we work together to advance shared interests in Europe
and around the world. Whether working
together to stem the tide of nuclear proliferation or the trafficking of
persons and illicit materials, or to protect the environment, our shared
interests bring us together time and time again.
I believe that the close people-to-people ties between our
two nations explain why Americans were so affected by the devastating wildfires
that ravaged Greece
this summer. I am confident that everyone
here today can appreciate the parallels with the recent wildfires in southern California. Both events remind us that, in times of
disaster, we rely on our friends and allies.
I am pleased to report that the U. S. Government provided over $1.9
million in assistance to Greece,
including cash donations to the Hellenic Red Cross, non-perishable commodities,
and funding for a team of experts to provide technical assistance in emergency
management and reconstruction. In
addition to this assistance from the U.S. Government, prominent Greek-Americans
and Greek-American organizations were quick to come to the aid of Greek
citizens affected by the fires. Americans’
generosity helped with the vital rehabilitation following this disaster. We look forward to continued, robust
cooperation between Greek and American firefighters and reconstruction experts.
In the Balkans, the United
States and Greece
share a strong interest in ensuring that Greece’s neighbors move forward on
a path towards integration with NATO and the European Union. Greece’s leadership and economic
investment in the region have helped promote rapidly growing economies, create
jobs and infrastructure, and bring a sense of stability to the region.
Greece has significant economic ties with
its neighbors in the Balkans. The level
of Greek investment in Albania,
Serbia, including Kosovo, Montenegro,
and Macedonia,
reached 3.5 billion euros last year. Greece’s trade
relations with its neighbors are also strong.
Greece
has taken full advantage of new economic opportunities in the Balkans, with a
new market of 50 million consumers, and has had a stable level of trade of
approximately 1.5 billion euros over the last six years. Greece has also provided
considerable economic assistance to its Balkan neighbors. In 2002, Greece launched a five-year aid
initiative called the Hellenic Plan for Economic Reconstruction of the
Balkans. This is a 700 million dollar
program designed to aid the economic development of Greece’s
Balkan neighbors, including Albania,
Bosnia-Herzogovina, Macedonia,
Montenegro, Serbia and Romania.
The Balkans will require continued attention in the coming
months and years to ensure a lasting peace, an ongoing economic transformation,
and a permanent integration of all countries in the region into Euro-Atlantic institutions.
Kosovo – the last unresolved legacy of the Milosevic regime
– must see its status clarified. The United States has made this a
priority for the coming months. The United States
supports the EU/Russia/U.S. Troika-led negotiations as a final attempt to find
a mutually agreed solution, but remains firm that its mandate will conclude on
December 10.
In the absence of an agreement negotiated by December 10, the
United States
believes the plan for supervised independence, outlined by the UN Special Envoy
Maarti Ahtisaari, is the best way forward.
As a partner in NATO’s Kosovo Force, Greece shares our interest in a
timely resolution of this problem that maintains regional stability and ensures
the rights of religious and ethnic minorities.
We are working to ensure that the concerns of all parties are addressed
in the negotiations now underway, but firmly believe a timely resolution of
Kosovo’s status must be achieved.
In
the same vein, the United States
and Greece share an interest
in a prosperous Macedonia,
one that is stable economically, politically and militarily. Macedonia has made great strides in
these areas and has participated in NATO’s Membership Action Plan for a number
of years. This does not mean that Macedonia is
guaranteed an invitation to join NATO at the Bucharest Summit this April. Our firm view is that Macedonia should
be judged strictly on its merits, specifically whether it has met NATO’s performance
based standards.
Macedonia should not be denied an invitation
to NATO for any reason other than failure to meet the substantive
qualifications for entry. In Greece, some have raised the possibility of
vetoing an invitation to Macedonia
unless the “name issue” is resolved. While the United
States agrees on the importance of resolving the name
issue, we do not think that disagreement on the name alone is reason to block Macedonia’s
membership in international organizations.
At the same time, the name “Macedonia”
is close to the heart of Greek citizens and is central and significant to the history
of Greece
itself. The United
States is firmly committed to the UN process led by
Ambassador Matt Nimetz to resolve this issue – as well as adherence to the 1995
Interim Accord, which allows Macedonia
to enter regional and international organizations under the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. We believe our NATO ally Greece and Macedonia are fully capable of
working quietly, constructively and directly with each other and within the UN
framework to reach a solution. We ask
that the Macedonian government make a special effort to work with the Greek
government to find a solution with which both countries can live. We ask for a spirit of compromise on both
sides. The United States cannot impose a
solution on either side. Finding a
solution acceptable by both countries is something they need to do
themselves.
It often takes considerable time for countries to join NATO. Spain didn’t join until 23 years
after NATO was created. It took the
Baltic countries 11 years to join after their independence. But in every instance of a new member joining
NATO, enlargement has benefited the Alliance
and advanced peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic area. I think we all agree it is in everyone’s
interest to see Macedonia become
a stable and cooperative neighbor of Greece and part of the NATO
alliance.
Another interest that we closely share with Greece is our
commitment to the diversification of energy sources and suppliers, particularly
the advancement of reliable, long-term flows of oil and natural gas from the
Caspian region. Energy security is
inextricably linked with national security and economic prosperity. Global economic growth and stability depends
on adequate, reliable and affordable supplies of energy. Greece’s
central position between energy producers in the Caspian and energy markets in
Western Europe means that Greece
has a major role to play in helping Caspian energy find its way to a wider
market.
The Turkey-Greece-Italy Interconnector (TGI) pipeline will bring
Azerbaijani gas to Europe, increasing the
diversity of energy supply and promoting the stability and economic prosperity
of the Caspian nations. It will help to
ensure that no one country will hold a monopoly on energy flows to our allies
in Western and Central Europe. TGI is making solid progress. The upcoming inauguration of the
Turkey-Greece portion later this month will usher in the first Azerbaijani gas
exports to the EU-15. Ultimately, a
trans-Adriatic link will connect the gas grids of Greece
and Italy, providing a
reliable flow of diversified gas supply from Azerbaijan and, potentially, other
Caspian nations.
Finally, I am happy to say that we continue to cooperate closely with the
Government of Greece on Greece’s
participation in the Visa Waiver Program.
At the end of this month, the Department of Homeland Security plans to
send an assessment team to Greece. The DHS team will assess Greece’s readiness to participate in the Visa
Waiver Program and the potential impact on U.S.
security, law enforcement and immigration interests should Greece join. While this process will take some time before
a decision is reached, the Government of Greece has told us that it is ready
and able to meet the stringent requirements for participation. That is good news – for Greece, the United States and the business and
personal ties between our two countries.
In conclusion, I
want to underscore that which we treasure: the deep historical ties between the United States and Greece. We continue to work to broaden and deepen our
relations. The relationship between our
two countries is the best it has been in decades. We have excellent relations with Prime
Minister Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Bakoyannis, and are grateful to both
for their strong support of a closer U.S.-Greece alliance during their time in
office. We are working together to
promote peace and stability in Greece’s
neighborhood, the broader Middle East, and
beyond. We know we can count on our
Greek friends and allies to meet these challenges, and Greece can
count on us.
I thank you for the opportunity to
come before you today, and welcome any questions you may have.