US Ambassador George Tsunis added to a list of those lauding Greece’s recovery from a 2010-18 financial and austerity crisis, calling it an “economic miracle,” that is seeing investors from the United States and world jumping in.
Speaking at the Athens Riviera Forum 2024 earlier this week he said that, “The US has rediscovered Greece,” as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been luring more Foreign Direct Investment, including American companies once reluctant to come.
Tsunis said that Greece is experiencing an economic transformation, and added that he was very proud to be an ambassador in the country of his family’s heritage and promoting bilateral relations.
Tsunis: Cooperation between Greece and the US “best ever been”
“Our cooperation is developing at all levels, in all sectors. It is at the best level it has ever been, and this is to the benefit of both the US and Greece,” pointing out that Greece’s skilled workforce is a special attraction for big companies.
He said that while the US economy is doing well and the stock market is also that the American government does not have the 2.7 percent primary surplus that Greece does, although that doesn’t count interest on staggering debt and repaying what’s left of 326 billion euros ($349.92 billion.)
Nor does it include the cost of running municipalities, state enterprises and some military expenditures and it will take Greece decades to repay the bailouts given from European lenders, the loans failing to slow the growth of debt.
He said that pillars of instability surround Greece and that, “There are countries in Europe that feel they can invade their neighbor and change the boundaries of sovereignty by force, undermine democracies by exploiting energy, through blackmail, and we see the crisis which is currently raging in the Middle East,” referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
“In a region that is desperately seeking stability, Greece is the important partner because it does not operate by surprise, but on the basis of principles and values, and this is something that is appreciated by everyone,” Tsunis said.
Political stability, not volatility, is crucial to investors and Mitsotakis has brought that, the economy growing another 2.5 percent this year and accelerating in the essential end of the COVID-19 pandemic and record tourism levels.
Speaking at the Delphi Economic Forum in April this year, Tsunis said that the US is committed to upgrading Greece’s defense capabilities.
He was referring to the Letter of Offer and Acceptance to the Greek defense ministry about the procurement of F-35s by Greece, noting that Greece is a very important partner of the US, as Greece supports NATO’s southeastern flank.
Asked to comment if Greeks should worry that Turkey is purchasing F-16s from the US, Tsunis said the neighboring country has had F-16s for decades just like Greece and what the focus should be on instead is the significant improvement in Greek-Turkish relations, as both countries are NATO partners.
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