美国驻希腊共和国大使杰弗里·皮亚特(Geoffrey Pyatt)表示,土耳其和利比亚国际公认政府就军事合作和海洋边界达成的协议可能威胁到美国“试图鼓励的”稳定。
皮亚特星期二在希腊雅典举行的一年一度的希腊经济峰会上发表演讲后对记者说,尽管美国没有看到协议的文本,“我们当然认为这种举动有损于美国一直寻求鼓励的稳定局势。”
希腊和土耳其之间的紧张局势已经在加剧,原因是土耳其决定推进钻井作业,尽管双方对塞浦路斯的天然气和石油储量存在长期争议。
10月,塞浦路斯、希腊和埃及要求土耳其“停止挑衅行为”,称该国的石油勘探“违反国际法”
皮亚特周二发表上述言论之际,希腊总理米佐塔基斯(Kyriakos Mitsotakis)预计将在本周伦敦举行的北约峰会上要求北约成员国在土耳其行动中支持希腊。
据美联社报道,周日,米佐塔基斯告诉执政的新民主党代表大会,当另一名成员“公然违反国际法”时,北约成员必须采取行动。
首相警告说,漠不关心可能对希腊造成重大伤害,希腊仍在从严重的债务危机中复苏的道路上。
皮亚特在对记者的评论中坚称,美国和希腊“都非常希望看到土耳其继续扎根于西方,扎根于北约,扎根于我们的欧洲-大西洋共同体。”
“其次,我们一贯明确表示,我们赞赏米佐塔基斯总理及其政府从上任第一天起所采取的措施,这些措施有助于确保雅典和安卡拉之间的沟通渠道畅通,并明确希腊不是在寻求升级,也不是在寻求挑衅,”他补充说,“我们希望,焦点能够尽快回到建立基于国际法的合作领域。”
正如皮亚特周二指出的,希腊经济虽然仍然脆弱,但近年来已经显示出明显的复苏迹象。
“希腊回来了,”皮亚特在希腊经济峰会上发表演讲时说。他补充道,这个曾经挣扎的国家“像凤凰一样从金融危机的深渊中崛起”。
皮亚特继续说:“希腊现在的借款利率明显低于美国。”。同时,他说,“希腊的增长率是欧洲最快的。”
他说,这种增长对希腊和美国都有好处,大使承诺帮助改变“美国对希腊的看法”
皮亚特说:“我们必须宣传这是一个新希腊,公司在这里蓬勃发展。”。"希腊显然正在前进。"
TURKEY-LIBYA AGREEMENT POSES THREAT TO STABILITY AMERICA HAS 'SOUGHT TO ENCOURAGE,' SAYS U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GREECE
Deals between Turkey and the internationally recognized government in Libya on military cooperation and maritime boundaries could threaten the stability that America has "sought to encourage," Geoffrey Pyatt, the U.S. Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic has said.
Speaking to reporters after delivering a speech at the annual Greek Economic Summit in Athens, Greece on Tuesday, Pyatt said that while the U.S. had not seen the text of the agreement, "we certainly see such a move as detracting from the situation of stability that the United States has sought to encourage."
Already, tensions between Greece and Turkey have been on the rise over Turkey's decision to move forward with drilling operations despite a longstanding dispute over claims to gas and oil reserves off of Cyprus.
In October, Cyprus, Greece and Egypt demanded that Turkey "end its provocative actions," branding the nation's oil explorations a "breach of international law."
Pyatt's comments on Tuesday come as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to ask fellow NATO members at the alliance's summit this week in London to support Greece amid Turkey's actions.
On Sunday, Mitsotakis told the ruling New Democracy party's congress that NATO members must take action when another member "blatantly violates international law," according to The Associated Press.
Indifference, the prime minister warned, could pose significant harm to Greece, a country still on the road to recovery from a crippling debt crisis.
In his comments to reporters, Pyatt maintained that both the US and Greece "share a strong interest in seeing that Turkey remains anchored in the West, anchored in NATO, anchored in our Euro-Atlantic community."
"Second, we have consistently made clear our appreciation for the steps that Prime Minister Mitsotakis and his government have taken, literally from their first days in office, to help ensure that the channels of communication between Athens and Ankara are open and to make clear that Greece is not seeking escalation, is not seeking provocation," he said, adding: "We hope that as quickly as possible, the focus can return to building areas of cooperation based on international law."
As Pyatt noted on Tuesday, Greece's economy, while still fragile, has shown significant signs of recovery in recent years.
"Greece is back," Pyatt said in a speech delivered at the Greek Economic Summit. The once-struggling nation "has emerged like a phoenix from the depths" of its financial crisis, he added.
"Greece remarkably now borrows at a cheaper rate than the United States," Pyatt continued. Meanwhile, he said, "Greece's growth rate is among the fastest in Europe."
That growth, he said, was good for both Greece and the U.S., with the ambassador committing to helping to change "perceptions of Greece in the U.S."
"We have to spread the word that this is a new Greece, that companies are thriving here," Pyatt said. "Greece is clearly moving forward."