[Anna Karagiannopoulou]: The Greek Foreign Minister, Dimitris Avramopoulos, made a brief visit to the United States, during which he was the keynote speaker at the annual forum of the American Jewish Committee here in Washington. [Dimitris Avramopoulos]: I am here tonight representing a nation that shares the same values and principles with the Jewish people. Principles that stem from our common cultural and historical origins. Two ancient peoples who have been meeting around the world for over three thousand years, where trade, literature, arts, and sciences develop, where culture is created. [Anna Karagiannopoulou]: Mr. Avramopoulos stated in his speech and added, “I come as a messenger of friendship and solidarity.” Describing the contemporary social reality in Greece, Mr. Avramopoulos referred to challenges that, as he said, generate political forces that demean our democratic and humanitarian traditions. Without specifically mentioning the anti-Semitic rhetoric recently used in Greece by factions such as the “Golden Dawn,” Mr. Avramopoulos emphasized that “Greece will never allow hatred to develop and spread. Hatred will be confronted and neutralized.” He added that “such phenomena are a result of the economic crisis in many European countries.” Regarding the new peace initiatives of the American Secretary of State in the Middle East, Mr. Avramopoulos emphasized that “such efforts have the full support of Greece.” [Dimitris Avramopoulos]: Greece and Israel are the most stable and mature democracies in the region. What unites us are our common efforts for cooperation, against terrorism, and for security and stability in the region. [Anna Karagiannopoulou]: Finally, the Greek Foreign Minister referred to the efforts Greece is making to build its economy and emphasized that joint ventures of American, Israeli, and Greek companies could yield profits in many sectors, including tourism, the defense industry, agriculture, and of course, energy. According to circles of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, up to 20 significant Greece-Israel agreements in the aforementioned sectors are expected this fall. During his brief visit to the USA, apart from the American Jewish community, Mr. Avramopoulos also had contacts with members of the Greek-American community and with members of the World Coordinating Committee of the Cyprus Struggle, which is holding its annual conference here in Washington this week. Anna Karagiannopoulou, VOA, Washington.