President Donald Trump delivers remarks for a Greek Independence Day celebration at the White House on Monday, March 24.
Trump issued a proclamation in his first administration on March 24, 2020, recognizing the holiday:
Our great American experiment was inspired by the ideas about liberty, self-government, and the rule of law that traced their roots to ancient Greece. On Greek Independence Day, we commemorate the rich history shared between the United States and Greece, which is fortified by our love of freedom and commitment to democratic institutions. We join the Greek people in celebrating another year of independence and unity.
The great thinkers of ancient Greece stoked the American quest for freedom and a republic founded on the fundamental truth that people have rights that cannot be denied. Decades later, the same values that catalyzed our Revolution inspired the people of Greece to seek their own freedom and independence. Recognizing the commonality between the Greeks’ fight to establish a representative government and their own, many Americans supported Greek independence, forging an unbreakable bond between our two countries.
Today, this same conviction for a freer and more prosperous world bolsters the alliance between the United States and Greece. In October 2019, my Administration worked with Greek officials to strengthen and expand our defense and security partnership by updating the United States-Greece Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement Annex. This agreement paves the way for closer collaboration on national security matters between our two countries for decades to come. We are also grateful for the commitment of Greece, a strong NATO Ally, to our naval presence at Souda Bay on the island of Crete. Through such endeavors, the partnership between our countries advances our strategic national interests in stable and peaceful Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Western Balkans regions.
