U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) expressed hope that the new Greek government would tackle critical regional issues and continue to be a strong leader as Chair-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, along with
Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) and
Congressman Mike McIntyre (D-NC), were among the first foreign officials to visit the Papandreou government in Athens since the Oct. 4 election. The delegation met on Saturday with Greek Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos.
“We had a very positive meeting with Prime Minister Papandreou. He was generous with his time and thoughts. The new government has a real chance to take advantage of this moment in history to have a lasting legacy resolving ongoing discussions between the governments in Athens and Skopje, and improving Greece’s relationship with Cyprus and Turkey,” said
Senator Cardin. “I look forward to the great friendship between the U.S. and Greece growing stronger under this new administration. The government's early outreach to Turkey is a welcome sign that the Prime Minister is serious about dfa-adfasdfa-sf regional cooperation. Considering Greece's role as the 2009 Chair-in-Office of the OSCE, I pledge the full cooperation of the U.S. to help the December ministerial meeting meet reasonable expectations.”
Last Friday, Senator Cardin, as vice president of the Parliamentary Assembly, delivered a keynote address on climate change, before the 200 gathered parliamentarians from 49 OSCE participating States.
