(6) In October 2019, the United States and 
Greece agreed to update the United States-Greece 
Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, and the 
amended agreement officially entered into force on 
February 13, 2020. 
(7) The amended Mutual Defense Cooperation 
Agreement provides for increased joint United 
States-Greece and NATO activities at Greek military 
bases 
and 
facilities 
in 
Larissa, 
Stefanovikio, 
Alexandroupolis, and other parts of central and 
northern Greece, and allows for infrastructure im-
provements at the United States Naval Support Ac-
tivity Souda Bay base on Crete. 
(8) In October 2020, Greek Foreign Minister 
Nikos Dendias announced that Greece hopes to fur-
ther expand the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agree-
ment with the United States. 
(9) The United States Naval Support Activity 
Souda Bay serves as a critical naval logistics hub for 
the United States Navy’s 6th Fleet. 
(10) In June 2020, United States Ambassador 
to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt characterized the impor-
tance of Naval Support Activity Souda Bay as ‘‘our 
most important platform for the projection of Amer-
ican power into a strategically dynamic Eastern 
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Mediterranean region. From Syria to Libya to the 
chokepoint of the Black Sea, this is a critically im-
portant asset for the United States, as our air force, 
naval, and other resources are applied to support 
our Alliance obligations and to help bring peace and 
stability.’’. 
(11) During a September 2020 visit to Souda 
Bay, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo an-
nounced that the USS Hershel ‘‘Woody’’ Williams, 
the second of a new class of United States sea-bas-
ing ships, will be based out of Souda Bay, the first 
permanent United States naval deployment at the 
base. 
(12) The United States cooperates with the 
Hellenic Armed Forces at facilities in Larissa, 
Stefanovikio, and Alexandroupolis, where the United 
States Armed Forces conduct training, refueling, 
temporary maintenance, storage, and emergency re-
sponse. 
(13) The United States has conducted a long-
standing International Military Education and 
Training (IMET) program with Greece, and the 
Government of Greece has committed to provide $3 
for every dollar invested by the United States in the 
program. 
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(14) 
Greece’s 
defense 
spending 
in 
2020 
amounted to an estimated 2.68 percent of its gross 
domestic product (GDP), exceeding NATO’s 2 per-
cent of GDP benchmark agreed to at the 2014 
NATO Summit in Wales. 
(15) Greece is eligible for the delivery of excess 
defense articles under section 516(c)(2) of the For-
eign 
Assistance 
Act 
of 
1961 
(22 
U.S.C. 
2321j(c)(2)). 
(16) In September 2020, Greek Prime Minister 
Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced plans to modernize 
all three branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces, 
which will strengthen Greece’s military position in 
the Eastern Mediterranean. 
(17) The modernization includes upgrades to 
the arms of all three branches, including new anti- 
tank weapons for the Hellenic Army, new heavy-duty 
torpedoes for the Hellenic Navy, and new guided 
missiles for the Hellenic Air Force. 
(18) The Hellenic Navy also plans to upgrade 
its four MEKO 200HN frigates and purchase four 
new multirole frigates of an undisclosed type, to be 
accompanied by 4 MH-60R anti-submarine heli-
copters. 
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(19) The Hellenic Air Force plans to fully up-
grade its fleet of F–16 jets to the F–16 Viper vari-
ant by 2027 and has expressed interest in partici-
pating in the F–35 Joint Strike Fighter program. 
(20) The United States ejected Turkey from 
the F–35 Joint Strike Fighter Program in July 
2019 as a result of its purchase of the Russian S- 
400 air defense system. Eight F–35 Joint Strike 
Fighters were produced for Turkey but never deliv-
ered as a result of its ejection from the program. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) Greece is a pillar of stability in the Eastern 
Mediterranean region and the United States should 
remain committed to supporting its security and 
prosperity; 
(2) the 3+1 format of cooperation among Cy-
prus, Greece, Israel, and the United States has been 
a successful forum to cooperate on energy issues and 
should be expanded to include other areas of com-
mon concern to the members; 
(3) the United States should increase and deep-
en efforts to partner with and support the mod-
ernization of the Greek military; 
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(4) it is in the interests of the United States 
that Greece continue to transition its military equip-
ment away from Russian-produced platforms and 
weapons systems through the European Recapital-
ization Investment Program; 
(5) the United States Government should con-
tinue to deepen strong partnerships with the Greek 
military, especially in co-development and co-produc-
tion opportunities with the Greek Navy; 
(6) the naval partnerships with Greece at 
Souda Bay and Alexandroupolis are mutually bene-
ficial to the national security of the United States 
and Greece; 
(7) the United States should, as appropriate, 
support the sale of F–35 Joint Strike Fighters to 
Greece to include those F–35 aircraft produced for 
but never delivered to Turkey as a result of Turkey’s 
exclusion from the program due to its purchase of 
the Russian S-400 air defense system; 
(8) the United States Government should con-
tinue to invest in International Military Education 
and Training (IMET) programs in Greece; 
(9) the United States Government should sup-
port joint maritime security cooperation exercises 
with Cyprus, Greece, and Israel; 
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