Opening of US-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Washington (13-14/12/2018) and Meetings of Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Katrougalos, at the UN Headquarters (12/12/2018)

The Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Katrougalos, will travel to Washington as head of the Greek delegation for the first US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, to be held in the US capital on 13 and 14 December.

The issues on the agenda of the Strategic Dialogue are the following: Regional affairs and economy, Defence and Security, Rule of Law and combating terrorism, Commerce-Investment and Innovation, Energy cooperation and People to People ties.

The Greek delegation will also be composed of the Deputy Minister of Economy and Development, St. Giannakidis, the Deputy Minister of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Information, L. Kretsos, the Head of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Admiral E. Apostolakis, Secretaries General and other officials drawn from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Defence, Environment and Energy, Citizen Protection, Education, as well as from Enterprise Greece.

The work of the Strategic Dialogue will commence on Thursday, 13 December, around 10:00 am. A joint statement will be adopted on the afternoon of the same day. Subsequently, at about 16:00 (local time), the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs will meet privately with the American Secretary of State, M. Pompeo. Thereafter, brief statements will be made to the press.

In the morning of the same day, there will be first a meeting with the U.S. President’s National Security Advisor, John Bolton.

On Friday 14 December, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs will attend a working breakfast with business leaders, during which the subject for discussion will hinge on attracting investment in areas such as energy, digital technology, start-ups, and innovation.

The US-Greece Strategic Dialogue confirms the upgrading of Greek-American relations at all levels, while establishing systematic cooperation between the two sides on a wide range of issues. It reflects Greece’s dynamic presence on the international scene, as an element of security and stability in our region.

During the first part of his visit to the United States, on Wednesday 12 December, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Katrougalos, is due to meet in New York with the UN Special Envoy for the Cyprus Dispute, J.H.Lute, and with the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for the naming dispute, M. Nimetz.