Blinken trip confirms countries on same page
Τhe discussions between the diplomatic delegations of Greece and the US a few days ago during the visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Athens, were, according to a source, like contacts between countries that have absolutely no differences on the key issues.
“It was like bilateral talks with Switzerland,” the source said, noting, however, that at this stage US officials are completely absorbed by the bigger picture and are focused on stopping Russian aggression in Ukraine and containing China in the Pacific.
Outside these areas, the risk of tensions between Turkey and Greece heading to the upcoming elections in both countries was before the February 6 earthquakes a real concern and an important criterion for American policy in the region.
The negotiations in Athens reaffirmed that maintaining operating US bases in Greece at Souda, Larissa and Alexandroupoli, which serves as the entry point to a crucial route for NATO beginning in the Aegean and terminating in the Baltic Sea, is of the utmost importance to Washington.
The agreements signed a few days ago in Athens between Greece and Bulgaria on a pipeline and the future modernization of the railway line are very indicative of the US perception regarding his part of the Alliance’s eastern flank.
