Relations between Athens and Washington will continue to go from strength to strength during the second Trump administration, U.S. Ambassador George Tsunis stresses in an interview with ERT News in which he also revealed that President Biden wants to visit Greece.
“I can’t say what President Trump aims to achieve, but I think the past can serve as a pretty accurate guide,” he says, recalling that during Trump’s first term in office, the U.S. had both “strengthened and deepened” its relations with Greece.
He describes Marco Rubio as an “excellent pick for Secretary of State, because he really grasps the regional issues, along with the importance of bilateral U.S.-Greece relations and Greece’s NATO role as a stabilizing factor in the region.”
Tsunis also declares his time in Athens to have been “the greatest honor of my life.”
“I see Greece emerging from a major crisis with its economy not merely stabilized but actually one of the fastest growing in Europe,” the American ambassador noted. He adds that if he had to single out just one moment from his tenure, it would be the opening of the Elefsina shipyards.
“We invested $125 million in getting those shipyards open again. Two U.S. companies, Onex and Cisco, have opened up the Syros and Elefsina shipyards. Before that, about 200 people worked there, mostly part-time, doing maintenance on a couple of ships a year at most. Today, we repair around 200 ships a year and employ 1,900 workers, which is set to rise to 8,300 over the next two years. And that doesn’t just mean economic prosperity, it doesn’t just mean $2 billion extra in GDP for Greece—what it means above all is that people will be able to make a living.”
“I saw the fruits of the U.S. Embassy’s efforts, and our investment, first-hand. The work we did has had tangible benefits for the Greek economy. But most importantly, our efforts provided support for a whole lot of people.”
“As U.S. ambassador, I understand that my role here is to defend the principles, values and interests of the United States,” he said. “I have been very fortunate to have served here at a time when anti-Americanism has largely died away, and when the values, principles and interests of the United States have aligned with the values, principles and interests of Greece.”
He also noted that, having grown up in the Greek-American community of which he remains a very active member, and having spent his summers in his parents’ village over here, he came to Greece already familiar with the country, the Greek people and the Greek ethos.
“I am the son of Dimitris and Eleni Tsunis… from Platanos in the mountains of Nafpaktia. And it has been a great honor to serve as the U.S. Ambassador here.”
He adds, “I think it would be wonderful if the tradition could continue, and Greece became like Ireland or Italy whose U.S. ambassadors are mostly drawn from the Irish-American and Italian-American communities. Such a development would reflect the stability of Greece, but also the strength of the U.S.-Greece relationship and how close the two nations are.”
“I have met many of the U.S. ambassadors to Greece. For the most part, they were career diplomats… and I know a lot of ambassadors, both career diplomats and political placements, who have done a fine job,” he added.
“I’m looking forward to seeing who my replacement will be, and to helping out as much I can, or as much as they need me. But I expect the new ambassador, whoever he is, to arrive in a Greece that knows the U.S. considers the country its most valuable ally in the region. Meaning my successor will encounter a situation similar to the one I inherited from my predecessor, Ambassador Pyatt, who did an excellent job here during his six years in the post. The ties between Greece and the U.S. are stronger than ever,” he says.
Ambassador Tsunis goes on to note the sharp increase in the number of American students studying in Greece during his term. “We staged three Pharos Summits and welcomed the largest delegation of American universities that has ever come to Greece in the history of international education. As a result, 30 U.S. universities are now collaborating on joint or dual degrees in Greece.”
He notes that foreign direct investment has climbed significantly higher, with companies including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Pfizer and Chubb making significant investments in Greece, and adds that cooperation at the military level is better than ever before.
“The United States recognizes Greece as an essential partner in multiple spheres, and critical for securing NATO’s south-eastern flank. So I’m particularly proud of the contributions we have made to the Greek Army in the form of Surplus Defense Material, and of our two nations’ continued cooperation in this area.”
Asked about his relationship with the Greek Prime Minister, he said the two are close. You see, “the Prime Minister understands that it is relationships based on values and principles that endure.”
“I have never once seen the Mitsotakis government acting transactionally. I have only seen them act on the basis of values and principles. And you should know that we—both myself personally and my government—both acknowledge and appreciate it.”
“Both Greece and the United States understand that we have an obligation: the sacred obligation to defend and preserve democracy. So I am grateful that my three years here have resulted in a further strengthening of our relations. Our cooperation on all issues has helped both countries. Because, apart from common values, we also have common interests,” he adds.
We encourage Athens and Ankara to resolve their differences diplomatically
Turning to the talks between Greece and Turkey, he stresses that the two countries “are finding common ground.”
“Turkey and Greece have lived side by side for millennia. I think they understand each other better than we do. So we urge both nations, which are our and each other’s allies, to resolve their differences peacefully and diplomatically.”
He notes that he doesn’t understand “why some people are annoyed when I answer that we encourage both our allies to resolve their differences through diplomatic and peaceful means. I mean, what’s the alternative? That’s the premise of any relationship. The cornerstone of diplomacy. Ankara and Athens both have excellent diplomats, and we encourage them to work to ensure prosperity, stability and peace in the region. Because that’s in the interests of both countries.”
With regard to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he notes that it has been a huge wake-up call for Europe.
“Many countries in Europe have a specialized army. Greece has an integrated army with full capabilities. The country has fulfilled its commitments under the Wales Declaration and spends more than 3% of its GDP on the military,” he says.
“As I see it, the burden needs to be shared among all 32 NATO Allies. The U.S. spends $900 billion a year on its military. And we expect, and it’s a very realistic expectation, that other countries will do as Greece and the U.S. do and pay their fair share in line with their obligations to NATO.”
Greece is a pillar of stability surrounded by maelstroms of instability
“Greece is a pillar of stability and is surrounded by maelstroms of instability,” the U.S. ambassador notes. “As Greece’s partners, we understand the challenges confronting the nation. We have to help them guard their coastline. Greece is literally surrounded by instability. We need to ensure NATO interoperability and ensure that Greece’s army is strong and capable.”
He notes that the joint training and exercises we share are at a very high level and notes that, since it represents NATO’s south-eastern flank, Greece will be the country whose air force is equipped with F-35s in the region.
“It is a trusted partner in the region. Our armies will continue to build on that relationship, because America wants Greece to be strong.”
Ambassador Tsunis now states that Greece is one of the top ten countries in the world in renewable energy sources and that “Greece isn’t simply capable of providing for its own energy needs; it can become a net exporter by implementing energy diversification and transition along with decarbonization.”
He stresses that the U.S. wants to continue working with Greece to increase its storage capacity, to connect the islands to the electricity grid, support the EuroAsia Interconnector, and build a vertical corridor that will provide Europe with an alternative to Gazprom, which is in everyone’s interest.
“Greece’s best days are ahead of us. I really believe that, because its economy hasn’t only recovered, it’s growing steadily at a rate possibly three times that of the Eurozone as a whole.” He adds: “I think an ecosystem of entrepreneurship has been unleashed which, if it is allowed to continue, will provide tangible benefits in the creation of a modern, vibrant 21st-century economy.”
Finally, asked about his relationship with President Biden, he notes: “I don’t know anyone with more personal empathy than President Biden. I was honored to be his choice for ambassador.”
“He’s been a friend for 20 years. He is a person I have come to appreciate and to care about. And I think he has been an excellent President. I saw him last Friday at a dinner at the White House and he told me he’s looking forward to traveling to Greece when his term is over and spending some time here,” he concludes.
