Today, 19 September, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Markos Bolaris, received US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt within the context of a courtesy meeting.
Talks revolved around current issues of mutual interest to Greece and the US, and emphasised the positive momentum of bilateral relations, the consensus on a series of issues related to the Church, and the prospects for further strengthening the cooperation of the two countries in the fields of politics and commerce.
The US Ambassador expressed the interest on the part of the US for high-level strategic dialogue to continue, emphasised the success of this year's Thessaloniki International Fair with the US as its honoured guest country, and expressed the readiness of the Embassy and the US Consulate in Thessaloniki to respond to proposals for collaboration with the MFA and the regional Authorities of Northern Greece in the areas of religious and cultural diplomacy, stressing Greece's key role in intercultural and interfaith dialogue.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of communicating the positive messages resulting from the cooperation between Greece and the US to the business community and the general public, as was the case with the Thessaloniki International Fair, which was a great success. He also broached issues of special Greek interest which are interwoven with Greek history and culture, the Orthodox Church, Democracy, and Greek culture historically, such as the reopening of the Theological School of Halki, the security risks in the Sinai Peninsula, and the importance of protecting Saint Catherine’s Monastery and the internationally recognised unique nature of Mount Athos.
September 19, 2018