Antony Blinken

Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has expressed his commitment to further strengthening ties between the United States and Greece, Israel and Cyprus.

“The idea that a strategic -so-called strategic- partner of ours would actually be in line with one of our biggest strategic competitors in Russia is not acceptable”

US Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken gave a first inkling about the stance the Biden administration will take regarding Turkey in the hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His approach was clearly critical; however, the relationship is complex and any conclusions would be premature.

With the swearing in on Wednesday of the 46th US president, Joe Biden, the further strengthening of bilateral relations with Washington and the building of an autonomous strategic relationship that will not be affected by fluctuations in US-Turkish affairs remains the Greek government's main goal.

Greece's Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias congratulated the new US administration on Thursday, saying he looks forward to working with President Joe Biden and Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken.

Daniel Bennett Smith, a former Ambassador to Greece from 2010 to 2013, has been appointed as Acting US Secretary of State.

Smith, 64, was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve in this position until nominee Antony Blinken is confirmed by the Senate.

Αthens will join a dialogue with Ankara sincerely, constructively, but also fully aware that Turkey is no longer the same country as it was in 2000, with the aspiration to join the European Union, and not even as in 2016, when exploratory talks were launched, Greece's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias notes in an interview with Kathimerini.

Last week's attempted coup by strident supporters of President Donald Trump sullied America's image in the world, and it also drowned out other significant news regarding American foreign policy during the Biden administration.

Ahead of the imminent exploratory contacts with Ankara, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said in an interview with Kathimerini that Athens will have a constructive disposition, but stressed he is worried that Turkey is neither the country of the early 2000s that harbored European ambitions nor that which engaged in these talks in 2016.

President-elect Joe Biden on Nov. 23 announced a foreign policy and national security team crammed with veterans from the Barack Obama years, signaling an end to the upheaval under President Donald Trump and a return to traditional U.S. diplomacy.    

Top of the list was former State Department number two Antony Blinken, tapped for secretary of state.