By Geoffrey R. Pyatt
United States Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic
One of the strongest pillars of the bilateral relationship between our two great democracies is the people-to-people ties between individual Americans and Greeks. This was driven home for me during our visit to the stunningly beautiful and welcoming island of Chios. Countless Greek-Americans have ancestors or relatives from Chios. When I met with the bright, young undergraduate students from the University of the Aegean School of Business Administration and Maritime Business and other educational institutions, I asked the group how many of them had family members who have lived, worked, and studied in the United States. Almost every hand was raised.
These types of personal connections support and fortify the strong partnership between the United States and Greece and they were repeatedly highlighted during my visit to Chios. When I had the honor of meeting with Mayor Vournous and the Metropolitan of Chios, the island’s especially strong ties to the United States were a key part of our conversations and, clearly, a source of pride for both leaders. I was grateful to Mayor Vournous and his wife, Katerina, for showing us around the “painted village” of Pyrgi and sharing their insights into the wonderful Genoan architecture. But another last memory of that afternoon will be the warm greetings we encountered around every corner. As Mayor Vournous reminded me – almost everyone there has some connection to America. I even saw a modest house where locals say explorer Christopher Columbus lived before his voyage to America. It was remarkable to get a sense of the shared history between our two countries going back to the 15th century, long before the founding of the United States.
I was touched by the warm welcome the leadership and people of Chios showed me as a representative of the United States. Of course, the hospitality of the people of Chios is well known. Like so many others, I was deeply impressed by the tremendous outpouring of Greek generosity during the migrant and refugee crisis. The people of Chios shouldered the great burden of fulfilling the needs of thousands of desperate people, unexpectedly landing on their shores. The volunteers at Ark of the World Children’s Village showed me heartbreaking drawings by refugee children that depicted the devastating details of their journey and the exceptional kindness with which they were received in Chios. Ark of the World played an essential role hosting unaccompanied minors during the migrant crisis, and could not have done so without the generous support of local volunteers and donations. The U.S. Embassy has been proud to partner with Ark of the World on various programs over the years. As former Ambassador to Ukraine, I was particularly touched to hear that the organization also hosted Ukrainian children from the war-torn city of Mariupol.
The U.S. Government has been proud to do its part in supporting UNHCR, one of the international organizations assisting migrants and refugees in Greece. The U.S. is the number one donor to UNHCR – donating more than $1.49 billion in 2016. In fiscal year 2016, the United States also donated directly to international organizations and NGO efforts in Greece — $41.5 million to the UNHCR Europe Crisis Response, $2 million to the International Federation of the Red Cross in Greece, and $700,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Greece. The remarkable work of local and international groups on Chios is ongoing, as they support the refugees and migrants in residence there. For our part, the United States remains committed to addressing the underlying causes of this refugee crisis.
Of course, the welcoming and big-hearted character of the people of Chios carries over to the tourism and hospitality industries. The world-class Masticha Museum was a highlight of my trip. Tourism and mastic production are central to the Chios economy. Even after the economic crisis and the devastating wildfires that destroyed much of their crop last summer, I was thrilled to hear how well the mastic and masticha producers and exporters are faring in the regional and global economy – particularly in the U.S. market where they see growing demand. This is a testament to Greek resilience and the entrepreneurial zeal that have found all over this country.
Chios has been a major tourist destination for many years, welcoming visitors from all over the world. Among these visitors each year, are thousands of Turkish citizens, and it was good to be reminded that Turkey’s third largest city is just 20 minute ferry ride away. It was striking to see how the close contact between Chios residents and tourists from their neighbor have resulted in a spirit of pragmatism about bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey.
I was also very encouraged to see a Princess Cruise ship in the harbor, an American cruise line. I hope that many more Americans have the opportunity to visit Chios and enjoy all it has to offer. My wife Mary and I were awed by the spectacular beauty of this island – the memories of the spactacular Mavra Volia beach will stick with me for a lifetime, and I‘m from California so I’ve seen a lot of amazing beaches! We are very grateful for the warm welcome we received from the citizens of Chios and hope to return to the island very soon.
