Welcoming the Prime Minister of Greece to the United States for an address to a joint meeting of Congress.

Welcoming the Prime Minister of Greece to the United States for an address to a joint meeting of Congress. Whereas the concept of democracy—that the people have the power to govern—was developed in ancient Greece; Whereas the United States and Greece have enjoyed more than 150 years of diplomatic relations and share deep cultural connections and values; Whereas the United States and Greece have been partners and allies in all major international conflicts throughout modern history; 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 the Soviet Union; 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 no longer will we say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks Whereas the metropolitan area of Mariupol, Ukraine, where forces of the Russian Federation have committed unconscionable war crimes against the local population during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by President Vladimir Putin, is home to approximately 120,000 ethnic Greeks; Whereas, after forces of the Russian Federation bombed a hospital in Ukraine on March 9, 2022, Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, on March 18, 2022, Greece is ready to rebuild the maternity hospital in Mariupol, the center of Greek minority in Ukraine, a city dear to our hearts and the symbol of barbarity of the war Whereas Greece has sent at least 4 humanitarian aid shipments to Ukraine, including non-perishable food, bottled water, antiseptics, medical supplies, and power generators; Whereas Greece has provided Ukraine with security assistance, including Kalashnikov rifles and portable rocket launchers; Whereas membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has further enhanced cooperation between the United States and Greece; Whereas Greece is an integral part of the European Union; Whereas the commitment of the United States and Greece to security cooperation led to the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Hellenic Republic, done at Athens July 8, 1990, which was updated in 2021 to enhance defense ties between the countries and promote stability in southeastern Europe; Whereas the Greek port of Alexandroupoli has been instrumental in allowing the United States to help reinforce the eastern flank of NATO and deter further aggression by the Russian Federation against allies and partners of the United States; Whereas the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit of Alexandroupoli, recently inaugurated, will contribute significantly to energy diversification of Greece and southeastern Europe, especially in light of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation; 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 Whereas this support was bolstered in the United States-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act of 2021 (subtitle B of title XIII of Public Law 117–81 Whereas the United States is home to a robust Greek-American community of approximately 3,000,000 people, who meaningfully contribute to the cultural fabric of the United States; and Whereas the Speaker of the House has invited Prime Minister Mitsotakis to address a joint meeting of Congress on May 17, 2022: Now, therefore, be it That Congress— (1) warmly welcomes Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the United States; (2) eagerly anticipates the address of Prime Minister Mitsotakis before a joint meeting of Congress; (3) appreciates the historic and present role of Greece in the defense of democracy, including through the provision of support to Ukraine amid the ongoing brutal and unprovoked invasion by the Russian Federation; (4) commits to a continued partnership with Greece to bolster energy cooperation through the 3+1 format and help accelerate energy security in Europe; (5) reaffirms the steadfast and bipartisan support for the friendship between the people and Governments of the United States and Greece; and (6) appreciates the important role that Greek-Americans play in supporting the strong bonds that exist between the United States and Greece.

Summary: This concurrent resolution expresses that Congress welcomes Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the United States; eagerly anticipates the address of Prime Minister Mitsotakis before a joint meeting of Congress; appreciates the historic and present role of Greece in the defense of democracy, including through the provision of support to Ukraine amid the ongoing brutal and unprovoked invasion by Russia; reaffirms the steadfast and bipartisan support for the friendship between the people and governments of the United States and Greece; and appreciates the important role that Greek-Americans play in supporting the strong bonds that exist between the United States and Greece.