III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 606 

To recognize the 203rd anniversary of the independence of Greece and 

celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 21, 2024 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. KAINE, Ms. STABENOW, Ms. DUCKWORTH, 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. SCHUMER, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. 

REED, Mr. BENNET, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. RICKETTS, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, 

Mr. CARDIN, Mr. ROUNDS, Ms. ROSEN, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. BOOKER, 

Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. MARKEY) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

To recognize the 203rd anniversary of the independence of 

Greece and celebrating democracy in Greece and the 

United States. 

Whereas the people of ancient Greece developed the concept 

of democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was 

vested in the people; 

Whereas the founding fathers of the United States, many of 

whom read Greek political philosophy in the original 

Greek language, drew heavily on the political experience 

and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming the representative democracy of the United States; 


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•SRES 606 IS 

Whereas Petros Mavromichalis, the former Commander-inChief of Greece and a founder of the modern Greek state, 

said to the citizens of the United States in 1821, ‘‘It is 

in your land that liberty has fixed her abode and . . . 

imitating you, we shall imitate our ancestors and be 

thought worthy of them if we succeed in resembling 

you.’’; 

Whereas, in an October 21, 1823, letter to Greek scholar 

Adamantios Koraes discussing the ongoing Greek struggle for independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that ‘‘[n]o 

people sympathise more feelingly than ours with the 

sufferings of your countrymen, none offer more sincere 

and ardent prayers to heaven for their success’’; 

Whereas, on January 19, 1824, in a speech in support of his 

resolution to send an American envoy to Greece amid its 

struggle for independence, then-Congressman Daniel 

Webster recognized ‘‘the struggle of an interesting and 

gallant people . . . contending against fearful odds, for 

being, and for the common privilege of human nature’’; 

Whereas individual American Philhellenes, including future 

abolitionist Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, future abolitionist 

Jonathan Peckham Miller, and George Jarvis, traveled to 

Greece to fight alongside and provide aid to the Greek 

people in their struggle for independence; 

Whereas the people of the United States generously sent humanitarian assistance to the people of Greece during 

their struggle for independence, often through philhellene 

committees; 

Whereas Greece heroically resisted Axis forces at a crucial 

moment in World War II, forcing Adolf Hitler to change 

his timeline and delaying the attack on Russia; 


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Whereas Winston Churchill said that ‘‘if there had not been 

the virtue and courage of the Greeks, we do not know 

which the outcome of World War II would have been’’ 

and ‘‘no longer will we say that Greeks fight like heroes, 

but that heroes fight like Greeks’’; 

Whereas hundreds of thousands of Greeks were killed during 

World War II; 

Whereas Greece consistently allied with the United States in 

major international conflicts throughout its history as a 

modern state; 

Whereas the United States has demonstrated its support for 

the trilateral partnership of Greece, Israel, and Cyprus 

by enacting into law the Eastern Mediterranean Security 

and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 (title II of division 

J of Public Law 116–94) and through joint engagement 

with Greece, Israel, and Cyprus in the ‘‘3+1’’ format; 

Whereas this support was bolstered in the United StatesGreece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act 

of 2021 (subtitle B of title XIII of Public Law 117–81), 

establishing a 3+1 Interparliamentary Group to discuss 

the expansion of co-operation in other areas of common 

concern; 

Whereas the United States and Greece’s commitment to security cooperation led to the conclusion of a Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, which was updated in 

2021, in order to enhance defense ties between the two 

countries and promote stability in the broader region; 

Whereas the ongoing United States-Greece Strategic Dialogue reflects Greece’s importance to the United States 

as a geostrategic partner, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans, and as an important NATO ally; 


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Whereas, on November 13, 2023, the United States Agency 

for International Development and Greece signed a 

memorandum of understanding to advance energy security and cooperation in the Western Balkans; 

Whereas Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to 

Greece in January 2024 and met with Prime Minister of 

Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and in February 2024, Foreign Minister of Greece George Gerapetritis visited Washington, DC, for the fifth United States-Greece Strategic 

Dialogue and along with Secretary Blinken, reaffirmed 

the importance of the United States-Greece relationship 

and pledged to continue and increase cooperation based 

on shared values and interests; 

Whereas, in the framework of the fifth United States-Greece 

Strategic Dialogue, on February 9, 2024, Greece became 

the 35th country to sign onto the Artemis Accords, affirming its commitment to a peaceful, sustainable, and 

transparent cooperation in space; 

Whereas Greece and the United States have joined their 

democratic allies in standing in support of Ukraine following Russia’s unprovoked invasion and in March 2024, 

from Odessa, Ukraine, Prime Minister of Greece 

Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece ‘‘has consistently maintained from the very first moment, because in the 21st 

century no war can bleed the heart of Europe, nor can 

violate the defined borders and territorial integrity of an 

independent country’’; 

Whereas the Government and people of Greece actively participate in peacekeeping and peace-building operations 

conducted by international organizations, including the 

United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 


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the European Union, and the Organization for Security 

and Co-operation in Europe; 

Whereas Greece remains an integral part of the European 

Union; 

Whereas the Greek-American community has greatly contributed to American society and has helped forge the strong 

ties between the United States and Greece; 

Whereas the Governments and people of Greece and the 

United States are at the forefront of efforts to advance 

freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and human rights; 

Whereas those efforts and similar ideals have forged a close 

bond between the peoples of Greece and the United 

States; and 

Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to 

celebrate March 25, 2024, Greek Independence Day, with 

the people of Greece and to reaffirm the democratic principles from which those two great countries were founded: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) extends sincere congratulations and best 

3 wishes to the people of Greece as they celebrate the 

4 203rd anniversary of the independence of Greece; 

5 (2) expresses support for the principles of 

6 democratic governance to which the people of Greece 

7 are committed; 

8 (3) commends the Greek-American community 

9 for its contributions to the United States and its 

10 role as a bridge between the two countries; 


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1 (4) notes the important role that Greece has 

2 played in the wider European region and in the com3 munity of nations since gaining its independence 

4 203 years ago; 

5 (5) appreciates the ever-stronger bilateral rela6 tionship, based on shared values and interests, in7 cluding the important energy partnership that exists 

8 between the United States and Greece, and the im9 portant role that Greece plays in bolstering Euro10 pean energy security; and 

11 (6) commends Greece’s support for the people 

12 of Ukraine in their fight for freedom against Rus13 sian aggression. 

Æ 


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