Greece's role as a pillar of stability was underlined by Kimberly Guilfoyle, nominee for US ambassador to Greece, during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearings on Wednesday.

In her introductory speech, Guilfoyle committed to becoming a tireless supporter of American interests, a stable partner for Greek allies and a proud and loyal representative of US President Trump and the American people.

The ambassador nominee underlined Greece's critical role in NATO's southern flank, making special reference to the strong defense ties between the US and Greece and to the fact that Greece is one of the countries most consistently fulfilling its obligations in the alliance related to defense expenditures.

She also underlined the rising importance of Greece as a critical energy hub in the region, noting particularly the Revythoussa liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, the vertical corridor of Alexandroupolis, and the project to link the Cyprus and Israel electricity grids.

NATO and alliance cooperation

In recent years, Guilfoyle said, Greece has developed into a pillar of stability in a complicated region, and its commitment to common security within the NATO alliance is more important than ever. Greece is staunchly among allies with the highest defense expenditures, and is forecast to continue to invest 3% of its GDP in defense in 2025, while it is on track to reach 5%, according to the alliance's commitment at The Hague, she noted,a tangible investment in collective security.

In addition, the nominee noted, a significant part of these defense expenditures are directed toward acquiring state-of-the-art American defense technology, including F-35s, advanced Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, and the updated naval ships. Moreover, the proposal for a joint production of naval frigates shows Greece's long-term commitment to the US-Greece strategic defense collaboration, she pointed out.

These efforts to upgrade are strengthening Greece's significant military capabilities, Guilfoyle said, building up the eastern flank of the NATO alliance and creating valuable opportunities for American industry. She added that if the Senate approves her appointment, she will prioritize above all the further acceleration of Greece's defense upgrade, boosting even further the collaboration and synergies between US and Greek defense sectors.

Greece as energy hub

Guilfoyle noted the tremendous progress achieved in energy collaboration, and said the Revythoussa terminal and the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in Alexandroupolis allows the US to export more natural gas to Europe. While natural gas from the US now represents 20% of the natural gas share in Greece - from 2% five years ago - there are tremendous opportunities to sell more American energy to Greece and its neighbors, the nominee told the Senate foreign relations committee.

The American ambassador nominee said that during her tenure, if her nomination is approved, she would work for the vertical corridor between Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and Central Europe, so that Greece may become a hub of American natural gas in the region. She said she would also encourage Greece's progress in constructing electricity grid linking projects with its neighbors, including Cyprus, Israel, and Egypt, which would contribute to the regional energy differentiation and security.

Economic cooperation

Guilfoyle also stressed that economic opportunities remain the central pillar of the strong US-Greek relationship, and she would, if approved, serve as a strategic partner in promoting American trade and investment interests, based on successful efforts to expand opportunities for US businesses in basic sectors, including defense, energy, shipping, infrastructure, technology, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, and agriculture.

She would also actively pursue ways to encourage and facilitate Greek investments in the United States, promoting a more balanced, resilient, and mutually beneficial economic cooperation, Guilfoyle said.

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