The controversy generated from recent press reports about US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle reached Greece’s Parliament on Friday, with Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou reiterating the government’s position that no pressure or threats had been exerted on the country to take any action.
“There was never any issue of pressure or threats against our country to take any action,” Papastavrou said, adding that such a development “could never be tolerated.” Decisions, he stressed, are taken exclusively on the basis of the national interest.
The issue was raised by a deputy from the left-wing Course of Freedom (Plefsi Eleftherias) party, who asked Papastavrou to respond directly on whether US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle had referred to Romania and the ability of Washington, as the article claims, to influence political developments in other countries. The statements were allegedly made during a dinner attended by both the minister and the ambassador last March in Athens.
The deputy, Alexandros Kazamias, cited an account published by the WSJ, according to which the conversation allegedly took place on the specific occasion.
“So, what happened at that dinner? Did that exchange take place?” Kazamias asked from Parliament’s benches, pressing the minister during his follow-up on what he called a clear “yes or no” answer.
Papastavrou, for his part, stressed that Greece-US relations are at a “historic high,” pointing to cooperation in the energy sector and investments by American companies, including Chevron and ExxonMobil. He described the relationship as strategic and based on mutual respect.
“My responsibility is not to comment on reports. It is to defend the national interest of the country,” he said, underlining that within the close Greece-US relationship “there could not have been such content involving threats.”
The minister also referred to the two countries’ close energy cooperation and the forthcoming visit next week by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying the Greek government adheres strictly to the rules of competition and transparency.
