Asked about Imia scenario, Pompeo expresses support for sovereign values
Asked about a potential scenario involving an escalation of Turkish aggression in the Aegean reminiscent of the Imia crisis in 1996, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo indicated that the US would “protect…basic ideas of sovereignty.”
During a speech at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center on Saturday afternoon, Pompeo responded to a question about what Greece should expect if Turkish troops were to arrive on a Greek islet, and while noting that he would not speculate on “hypotheticals,” he indicated that Washington share the same “value set” as Greece and would protect those values.
“You can watch how this administration behaves, and you can be confident that we will act in ways that protect and preserve these basic ideas of sovereignty, these basic ideas of the rule of law, and these basic ideas around the protection of private property – the same value set that the people of Greece have,” Pompeo said.
“We have deep respect for the rule of law. We’ve talked to countries that have engaged in activity that we say is fundamentally at odds with our value set, and in – and with the value set of Greece,” he added.
