Mike Pompeo: We Want Stability in the Balkans, It is a Region "Full of Challenges"

In an interview with Kathimerini, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed concern about tensions in the Aegean. He stressed that the US wants stability in the Balkans because the region is "full of challenges".

The new defense agreement signed between Athens and Washington will contribute to Greece's security, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

He hoped that Greece and Turkey would resolve their differences peacefully. Regarding Turkey's violation of Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Pompeo said it was "recognized international waters" that every nation must respect.

Asked what would happen if Turkey breached the sector in which US companies have interests, Pompeo said it was a hypothetical scenario, but stressed that the US was always doing everything it could to protect its interests.

Pompeo also noted that the US has returned to the Balkan region: "And when I say we are back, it is because it is in America's interest to engage. Nations always act to take care of themselves and their interests. Greece is doing the same for its people. We have many strategic goals and what you saw today during my trip to Greece is that we have a new defense co-operation agreement that will make a difference. It won't only matter tomorrow, next week, it will also matter in the years and decades to come. "

Pompeo was also asked that during the Cold War the enemy was clear, but who the enemy is now and what the US military bases will be used for.

"NATO has set itself a strategic mission, the United States has its own national security strategy, I am sure Greece has a deep understanding of the things that potentially threaten it, but make no mistake: the Soviet Union does not have it, but Russia's malignant influence...