Joe Biden, in a visit to Kiev days before the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, visited the Cathedral together with his Ukrainian counterpart.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphaniy, thanked the American president for his support, as well as people’s and the US government’s support to Ukraine, to face the Russian aggression.

In their conversation, Joe Biden referred to his previous visit to Kyiv as well as to his meeting with Metropolitan Epiphaniy in Washington in September 2018.

At the end of the visit, at the monument of St. Michael’s Monastery, Biden and Zelensky paid tribute to the Ukrainian soldiers who lost their lives in the war with Russia.

Decades after the American Revolution, the people of Greece came together to bravely affirm their commitment to democracy and declare their own independence from the Ottoman Empire. Today, as we mark the anniversary of Greek independence, we honor our countries’ deep and historic bond — forged in the struggle for liberty and self-governance — and the many contributions of the modern Hellenic Republic which promote international peace and stability and uphold our shared values.

The Greek bicentennial in 2021 was a year of celebration for Greece, for the Greek American community, and for the strong bilateral relationship between our two nations. The seeds of friendship planted long ago continue to bear fruit for both our people, with Greece and the United States standing together to defend democracy around the world.

A crucial ally in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Greece promotes peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Western Balkans regions, and the United States is grateful for Greece’s continuing hospitality to the United States Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on Crete.

Greece and the United States are standing together to confront the challenges of our time, from meeting the climate crisis and diversifying the region’s energy resources to proving that democracies deliver for our people and pushing back against the growing threat of authoritarianism.

Through our ongoing Strategic Dialogue, Greece and the United States have increased cooperation across a range of critical issues, and last year’s update to our Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement will boost our defense and security cooperation for years to come.

The deep political and historical bonds that unite Greece and the United States are further reinforced by strong ties of family and affection and by the estimated 3 million Americans of Greek descent across our Nation. Throughout my career, I have seen firsthand the courage and determination of the Greek American community, and these qualities have been an invaluable source of strength to our Nation over the past year.

Greek Americans have been at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and our efforts to vaccinate the world. And last November, as Greek Americans proudly celebrated the construction of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in Manhattan 20 years after the original church structure had been destroyed in the September 11th terrorist attacks, they embodied our shared values of perseverance, resilience, and hope for the future.

As Greece and the United States look forward to what the next 200 years of partnership will bring, I am confident that our nations and our people will meet every challenge together. On this day, we recommit to the hard work ahead, to fortifying our democracies, and to reaffirming our ironclad friendship.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 25, 2022, as Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Tsounis’s candidacy must be approved following a hearing by the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by US Senator Robert Menendez.

If the obstacles of the delays in approving the appointments are overcome, it is estimated that George Tsounis will be able to take over the reins of the US diplomatic mission in Athens at the beginning of the new year.

Tsounis has extensive experience in the tourism industry, as he is the founder and executive director of the Chartwell Hotels group.

This company has a strong presence in all northeastern states and collaborates with important names in the field, such as Hilton, Marriott and Intercontinental.

He is considered a native of the Big Apple, the city in which he grew up and studied, starting at New York University and then obtaining a law degree from St. John’s University.

Immediately after his studies, he worked in the largest law firm in Long Island, while to this day he continues to live in the area with his spouse Olga and their three children.

Strong connections with the US business and political world

In 2013, under the administration of Barack Obama, his appointment as US ambassador to Norway was considered. However, this attempt ultimately failed. In the years that followed, Tsounis had the opportunity to take on a number of roles in the private and public sectors, gaining new experiences that are expected to strengthen his new candidacy.

In particular, his experience at the helm of Chartwell Hotels as well as taking over the management of Arbor Realty Trust and New York’s Signature Bank, two listed companies, has enabled him to develop significant contacts at the highest levels of the investment community of New York.

Equally important, however, are the political connections maintained by the 53-year-old expatriate in the US capital. This is, after all, a political appointment, given that George Tsounis is not a career diplomat.

In this light, it is worth noting the long-term relationship he maintains with President Biden, as in the 2012 election campaign he had served as president of the Greek-Americans for Obama-Biden.

In addition, he is well acquainted with US State Secretary Anthony Blinken and has the full support of Senator Robert Menendez, with whom he has developed a close friendship.

Despite being one of the main sponsors of the Democratic Party, the expatriate businessman keeps open the channels of communication in the Capitol with MPs and senators from the two major parties.

“Child” of the Greek community

A second-generation immigrant with parents from mountainous Nafpaktia, George Tsounis grew up in the Greek community of New York.

He attended the Greek school, participated in the Greek parade that takes place every year on March 25 on 5th Avenue in Manhattan and was an active member of the Community of Saint Paraskevi.

He maintained this close relationship with the Church and the Greek-American community throughout his career, as a member of the Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Faith and Leadership 100, the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), and The Hellenic Initiative (THI).

In fact, the former Archbishop Dimitrios had presented Tsounis with the Medal of St. Paul, the highest recognition awarded by the Greek Orthodox Church in America.

In addition, Tsounis has received the Justice for Cyprus Award of the Federation of Cypriot American Organizations that had been awarded to him by former Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and the Athens-Wishner Award jointly awarded by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Hellenic-American Council Leadership (HALC).

Source: ANA-MPA

“I will travel to the region in the coming days and look forward to meeting Foreign Minister (of Israel, Gabi Ashkenazi) and other Israeli, Palestinian, and regional leaders,” Antony Blinken said in a post on social media.

The meetings will be aimed at the US Secretary of State and his interlocutors “work together to build better futures for Israelis and Palestinians,” the State Department said in a statement.

I will be traveling to the region in the coming days and look forward to meeting the Foreign Minister and other Israeli, Palestinian, and regional leaders.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 21, 2021

Antony Blinken spoke with his Israeli counterpart –they already had a meeting with Gabby Ashkenazi earlier yesterday– and “welcomed” the ceasefire agreement, he said.

In their discussion, the two foreign ministers “expressed their gratitude for Egypt’s efforts and mediation,” the role of which was also praised by US President Joe Biden in his speech by the White House.

Earlier in the day, Antony Blinken said he was prepared to go to the region “if that would serve the purpose of moving beyond the violence” “at any time” during a visit to Greenland as part of an Arctic tour.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was officially implemented at 02:00 (local time), after eleven days of hostilities, the deadliest since the 2014 war.

The deal was facilitated by Egypt, a regional power with ties to both Israel and Hamas, the ruling Islamist group in the Gaza Strip, described as a “terrorist” organization by the Jewish State, the United States and the European Union.

Joe Biden called the ceasefire “a genuine opportunity” to make progress towards peace in the Middle East.

Source: ANA-MPA

This largely symbolic move, moving away from the White House’s carefully calibrated language for decades, is likely to be celebrated by the Armenian diaspora in the United States, but comes at a time when Ankara and Washington have deep political disagreements over many issues.

Source: ANA-MPA

This is “yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscow’s ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilize Ukraine,” Ned Price said. He stressed Washington’s “deep concern” and reiterated its call for Moscow to withdraw its troops from the Russian-Ukrainian border.

On Friday, Russia announced that it was “halting” for six months, that is, from April 24 to October 31, “passage through the territorial sea of the Russian Federation for foreign military ships and other state vessels.”

The ban covers three maritime zones, including the “triangle” off the Kerch Peninsula, near the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov and is considered critical to Ukraine’s grain and steel exports.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have reached a crescendo for weeks, with Kiyv accusing Moscow of seeking a casus belli to invade while the Kremlin accusing Kyiv of preparing to launch an attack on pro-Russian separatists in the east.

The United States “call on Russia to cease its harassment of vessels in the region and reverse its build-up of forces along Ukraine’s border,” Ned Price said.

NATO member states on Friday expressed “concern” over Russia’s naval manoeuvres and demanded that Moscow guarantee “free access” to Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov.

The Russian forces on the Ukrainian border —more than 100,000 troops, according to estimates from European Union— are larger than those gathered during the invasion of Crimea in 2014, the US Pentagon estimated on Monday.

Source: ANA-MPA

Specifically, to commemorate the life and legacy of the pioneer Martin Luther King Jr., the Embassy tweeted: “On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and we remember Archbishop Iakovos’ support for Dr. King not only with his words but also with his actions marching hand in hand with him in Selma, AL, on March 15, 1965.”

On #MLKDay2021 we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and we remember Archbishop Iakovos' support for Dr. King not only with his words but also with his actions marching hand in hand with him in Selma, AL, on March 15, 1965. pic.twitter.com/DCpKV6nb8x

— Embassy of Greece in the US?? (@GreeceInUSA) January 18, 2021

In his letter, Joe Biden states:

Your Holiness,

Thank you for your kind words and wishes. I’m sorry because we have not yet had the opportunity to contact you by phone.

It is a great honor to be elected the next President of the United States, and I realize just how much work lies ahead of us. Vice President-elect Harris and I will take office at a time of great global challenges —from the coronavirus to climate change— that transcend borders and require international cooperation. We look forward to working with you at this difficult time.”

Thank you again, Your Holiness. I look forward to a future dialogue.

Sincerely,

Joe

In a handwritten postscript, the president-elect wrote to the Ecumenical Patriarch: “Be well. We need your leadership.”

Speaking at the conference held by the Foreign Affairs International Conference on Religious Diplomacy, Geoffrey Pyatt spoke of the long-standing relationship —”almost two centuries”— between the two countries, a relationship which “the Greek Orthodox Church continues to reinforce.”

He added that as strategic partners, Greece and the United States worked together to meet the challenge that Russia posed “to our democratic values and specifically to the freedom of religious expression here in Europe.”
“Not only does Russia challenge the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarch, but it has continued seeking to break the unity of the Orthodox Church by fomenting instability and undermining the sovereignty of independent Orthodox-majority nations,” said the US ambassador.

“We commend the Church of Greece and Archbishop Ieronymos for bravely supporting the Ecumenical Patriarch’s decision, and we hope that over time, other Orthodox churches will follow this lead in accordance with canon law,” stressed the US ambassador.

He added that the Russian Orthodox Church attempted to punish Greece by instructing Russian Orthodox tourists not to visit Greek dioceses that had supported the decision to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The US ambassador to Athens also stressed that the US government was a strong supporter of the Ecumenical Patriarch, “the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians around the world.”

He highlighted the recent visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the Ecumenical Patriarchate where they reaffirmed their common vision to support religious freedom around the world, whether in Turkey or in Ukraine, and underlined that US support for the Ecumenical Patriarch would remain strong under President-elect Biden.

He also referred to Archbishop Elpidophoros, stressing that he “has also shown great leadership and compassion” in his response to the pandemic, “he has helped Americans in our journey to perfect our democracy by standing in solidarity for a more just and equal society.”

He added that in his first year and a half as Archbishop of America, Archbishop Elpidophoros had done much to deepen the already strong people-to-people ties between our countries.

The act stipulates that after one year the president can cancel the sanctions provided he certifies to the relevant congressional committees that:

• the Turkish government and any person acting on its behalf no longer own the S-400 air defense system or a successor system.
• no official of the Russian Federation or persons acting on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation or the defense sector of the Russian Federation shall operate or maintain any S-400 air defense system or successor system within Turkey.
• the president has received credible assurances from the Turkish government that it will not knowingly engage or allow any foreigner to engage in any activity for the recovery of the S-400 air defense system subject to sanctions in accordance with section 231 of the CAATSA.

Source: ANA-MPA