SYRIZA-PΑ supports the protest mobilizations against Rubio’s visit to Athens. We call for the voice of peace, diplomacy and international law to be heard loud and clear, and demand that Greece not be drawn into military planning.

The US Secretary of State’s visit takes place against an international backdrop marked by the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, anti-democratic interference in the internal affairs of countries in Latin America, and the US policy of economic strangulation and threats against Cuba. Although Greece has held the presidency of the UN Security Council since 1 October, it is not using this position to launch peace initiatives in Ukraine or the Middle East. On the contrary, it supports the genocidal Netanyahu government.

SYRIZA-PΑ has repeatedly stressed that the “law of the strongest” cannot replace international law and the international legal order. Upholding the UN Charter, diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes is essential to safeguarding Greece’s interests and ensuring security and peace across the wider region.

At the same time, the visit comes amid serious revelations concerning unacceptable and undemocratic interference by the US Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, in the internal affairs of countries and the affairs of elected governments. These revelations concern pressure to advance US energy interests, while the Greek government insists on remaining silent.

In this context, Greece cannot confine itself to the role of a “predictable and unquestioning ally”, opting for ever-greater dependence on US strategic plans instead of pursuing a genuinely multidimensional and proactive foreign policy. Greece should maintain cooperative relations with the United States, as it should with all countries, on the basis of reciprocity and the defence of its sovereign rights. It should also maintain a strong diplomatic presence, make full use of its role within the European Union and the United Nations, and remain firmly committed to international law and peace. This is precisely the approach pursued by the SYRIZA government from 2015 to 2019, when Athens acted as a pillar of peace and stability and resolutely defended Greece’s national interests.

That is why Greece urgently needs a change of course in its foreign policy.

SYRIZA-PΑ opposes a policy that turns Greece into part of the problem and makes it a predictable participant in decisions and strategic plans imposed by third parties, exposing the country to dangerous military entanglements.

Greece must uphold peace and international law through an active, multidimensional and peace-oriented foreign policy.