[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 40 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 40

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2022

   Mr. Menendez (for himself and Mr. Risch) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  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'' and ``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) and through joint engagement with 
        Greece, Israel, and Cyprus in the 3+1 format;
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), establishing a 3+1 Interparliamentary Group to 
        discuss the expansion of cooperation in other areas of common concern;
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
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That the Senate--
            (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.
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