Readout of Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis’ Meeting with Greek Defense Minister Panagiotis Kammenos
Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis met with Greek Defense Minister Panagiotis Kammenos today at the Pentagon to reaffirm the long-standing defense relationship between the United States and Greece.
The secretary thanked Minister Kammenos for his country’s continued support for U.S. basing at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, a critical logistics hub.
Secretary Mattis also praised Minister Kammenos on Greece’s commitment to 2 percent defense spending and recent signing of a $1.5 billion F-16 upgrade.
He also thanked the Greek defense minister for his country’s recent actions to combat Russian malign activities in the region, and the two agreed to continue to hold Russia accountable.
Earlier today, #SecDef Mattis met with #Greek Defense Minister Panagiotis Kammenos at the #Pentagon where they reaffirmed the long-standing defense relationship between the U.S. and Greece. pic.twitter.com/C4FuePAz25
— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) October 9, 2018
#SecDef Mattis hosted #Greek MinDef Panagiotis Kammenos today & thanked him for #Greece‘s continued support for US basing @NSA_SoudaBay. They discussed Russian malign activities in the region & agreed to continue holding #Russia accountable. pic.twitter.com/crPtKYb8Vw
— Dana W. White – DoD (@ChiefPentSpox) October 9, 2018
Yet, the Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos met with Deputy Secretary of State, John Sullivan. After the meeting, spokesperson, Heather Nauert stated:
Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan met today with Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos in Washington, DC. During the meeting, they discussed the strategic importance of the Eastern Mediterranean region and committed to further strengthen defense and security cooperation between Greece and the United States. Deputy Secretary Sullivan commended Greece’s contributions as a NATO Ally and its role as a pillar of stability in the region. Finally, the two officials welcomed the upcoming December launch of the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue.
