Avramopoulos Off To US To Meet With Defence Officials

Greek Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos is expected to visit Washington next week, ahead of a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and US President Barack Obama at the White House on August 8. This is Avramopoulos' third trip to the US in less than one year, but in all fairness this particular trip was initially organized by the former minister of defence Panos Panagiotopoulos.

Reports say that Avramopoulos will meet up with US defense officials and talks are expected to cover a series of issues pertaining to bilateral relations, military cooperation and security, the situation in the eastern Mediterranean and events in the Middle East.

Analysts point to recent signs that Greek-U.S. relations are going through a high point, including Obama's references to Greece as a "valuable friend and ally" and the general view of Greece as a strong factor for stability in the surrounding regions, in spite of its current economic problems.

Avramopoulos and Hagel are expected to discuss matters concerning Greece's neighbourhood, including the Balkans, Turkey, Egypt, Syria and the Middle East, and to examine ways to boost strategic cooperation and reaffirm Greek-U.S. strategic relations in the defence sector and in EuroAtlantic structures. The Greek minister will also brief Hagel on Cyprus' decision to go ahead with a process for joining the Partnership for Peace.