HRES 249

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 25, 2025

Mr. Bilirakis (for himself, Mr. Pappas, Ms. Malliotakis, Ms. Titus, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Amo, Mr. Magaziner, and Ms. Meng) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the 204th anniversary of the War of Greek Independence.

Whereas the concept of democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was vested in the people, was developed in ancient Greece; Whereas the Founding Fathers of the United States were inspired by ancient Greek political philosophy when forming the political system of the United States; Whereas the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence inspired the uprising of the Greek people against the Ottoman Empire and were reflected in the revolutionary Greek Constitutions; Whereas the War of Greek Independence initiated the struggle for self- determination of all the occupied nations of the Ottoman Empire; Whereas American philhellenes, including future abolitionist Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, future abolitionist Jonathan Peckham Miller, and George Jarvis, traveled to Greece to fight alongside and provide aid to the Greek people in their struggle for independence; Whereas the people of the United States generously sent humanitarian assistance to the people of Greece during their struggle for independence, often through philhellene committees; Whereas the United States and Greece have been allies in all international conflicts throughout modern history; Whereas the Greek-American community has positively contributed to American society and has helped forge the ties between the United States and Greece; Whereas the United States has greatly contributed to the reconstruction of Greece after World War II; Whereas North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership has further tightened the cooperation between the United States and Greece; Whereas Greece has consistently shown strong commitment to meeting NATO defense spending obligations and contributes more than 3 percent of its GDP in defense, while strongly supporting a more robust European defense; Whereas Greece is an integral part of the European Union; Whereas Greece occupies a non-permanent member seat at the United Nations Security Council for the 2025-2026 term; Whereas Greece is a strategic partner of the United States in bringing political stability and economic development to the Balkan region, having actively contributed to the Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries of the region and having been one of the major investors in southeastern Europe, including in critical infrastructure; Whereas the address of the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to a joint session of Congress in May 2022 consolidated the strong ties between the two countries, based on shared values, as well as the importance of the Greek-American community for the United States; Whereas Greece enjoys strong bipartisan support in the United States Congress; Whereas Greece participates in and actively promotes several schemes of regional partnership in the Eastern Mediterranean; Whereas the United States has demonstrated its support for the trilateral partnership of Greece, Israel, and Cyprus by enacting into law the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019, and through joint engagement with Greece, Israel, and Cyprus in the “3+1” format; Whereas this support was reiterated in the United States-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act, included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, establishing a 3+1 Interparliamentary Group to discuss the expansion of cooperation in other areas of common concern; Whereas the United States and Greece’s commitment to security cooperation led to the conclusion of a Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, which was updated in 2021, in order to enhance defense ties between the two countries and promote stability in the broader region; Whereas the ongoing United States-Greece Strategic Dialogue reflects Greece’s importance to the United States as a geostrategic partner, namely in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans and as a valuable NATO ally; Whereas the port of Alexandroupolis in northeast Greece has evolved into a key energy hub and strategic point, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Balkans and Eastern Europe; Whereas the Governments and people of Greece and the United States are at the forefront of international efforts to advance freedom, democracy, rule of law, human rights, peace, and stability; Whereas those efforts and similar ideals have forged a close bond between the peoples of Greece and the United States; and Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to celebrate the 204th anniversary of the March 25, 1821, Greek Independence Day with the people of Greece, and to reaffirm the democratic principles from which those two great countries were founded: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) extends warm congratulations and best wishes to the people of Greece as they celebrate the 204th anniversary of the War of Greek Independence;

(2) expresses support for the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law to which the people of the United States and Greece are committed;

(3) notes the important role that Greece has played in the wider European region and in the community of nations since gaining its independence;

(4) commends the Greek-American community for its contributions to the United States and its role as a bridge between the two countries;

(5) commends the geostrategic importance of Greece at the junction of three continents and in particular the critical role Greece plays in promoting stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkans and in continuously upholding international law and respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity; and

(6) appreciates the deepening cooperation between the United States and Greece, based on shared values and interests, including the important bilateral energy and security partnership and the important role that Greece plays in bolstering European energy security. <all>