An amendment to assess the potential for additional bases or an expanded US military presence specifically on Greek islands, has been passed at the US House of Representatives. This amendment comes in the context of the expanded defense cooperation agreement signed by the United States and Greece in October 2021, granting US forces access to four additional military bases in Greece.
Exploring possibilities that exist for the expansion of the American military presence in Greece, with a special emphasis on the islands, is foreseen an amendment that was voted by the House of Representatives to the bill for the US defense budget (NDAA), the annual authorization bill for the Department of Defense.
According to website hellasjournal.com, the amendment requests the US Secretaries of Defense and of Foreign Affairs to jointly submit to the relevant congressional committees a report on the security relationship between the US and Greece.
The Senate has already voted in favor of its own bill and now the two legislative bodies are in negotiations to shape the final text that will be sent to President Joe Biden.
The House amendment provides that the report should be filed within two months of the signing of the final bill (NDAA), including the following information:
-Analysis of the potential for additional bases or an expanded US military presence in the Hellenic Republic, particularly on the Greek islands.
· Description of basing rights granted to the United States under the updated US-Greece Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) signed on October 14, 2023.
· Description of US activities and investments in the bases included in the MDCA.
· Assessment of the status of cooperation in the field of security, in accordance with the requirements of the U.S.-Greece Defense and Inter-parliamentary Partnership Act of 2021.
The amendment was reportedly table by US Representative Grace Meng, a Democrat representing New York City, and a member of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.
The amendment introduced by Meng focuses on supporting Greece and requires the secretary of defense and the secretary of state to jointly submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees. This report will analyze the security relationship between the United States and Greece.
BTW: waiting Erdogan’s reaction as he insists on demilitarization of the Greek islands