Barack Obama is the fourth American president visiting Greece after Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1959, George W. Bush in 1991 and Bill Clinton in 1999. From the Cold War to the present day, the Greek governments hope for a statement by each American president that can give the much needed impetus to the “hot” issues of the Greek interests.
Dwight Eisenhower, December 1959
Dwight Eisenhower was the first US President who visited Greece. For two days, on 14 and December 15, 1959, he was in Greece, which was a milestone in the “peace and goodwill” tour that included visits to 11 states. It was the era of the Cold War confrontation with the US – Soviet Union.
In Athens, “Ike” was welcomed by “an enthusiastic public” -reports of of the time make speak of one million people –
Talks between the US President with the royal couple, King Paul and Queen Frederika, and the Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis (leader of conservative ERE), particularly stressed the close relationship between the two countries that had developed their alliance in World War II, but mostly with the huge US military aid during the Greek civil war and the financial assistance thereafter.
The US President departed from Greece (Faliro) on board of cruiser «Des Moines» part of the US Sixth Fleet that had reached Athens one day before the presidential visit.
George W. Bush, July 1991
George W. Bush arrived in Greece on 19 and 20 July 1991, with the the Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue to be the main topic of discussions with Konstantinos Karamanlis, President of the Republic, and Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis from conservative New Democracy.
Bush’s statement that the invasion of Cyprus was different from the invasion in Kuwait frustrated Greeks.
George Bush praised Greece for its contribution to the I. Gulf War against Iraq and discussed with Greek politicians potential defense and economic cooperation.
Bill Clinton, November 1999
Bill Clinton officially visited Greece on November 19-20, under draconian measures, while political parties and movements were marching in Athens and many cities across the country opposing the visit of the US President. During the protests there were clashes, police arrested several protesters.
Bill Clinton held talks with the President of the Republic, Kostis Stephanopoulos, with the Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue to top the agenda.
The Greek side highlighted the intransigence of Turkey, demanded respect of the rules of international law and stressed that Turkey claims over islands and islets of the Aegean should not be formulated even as a thought. The only real problem was to define the limits of the continental shelf.
For the Greek-Turkish relations, Clinton merely stated that during his visit to Turkey, at any public occasion, he urged the leadership and the people to seek reconciliation with Greece. On Cyprus he said, he was committed to make the best efforts for a solution.
At the meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis (PASOK), Clinton said that the differences in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey should be brought to the International Court of The Hague.
During his visit of Bill Clinton spoke at an event of the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce, where he implicitly recognized “the wrong attitude of the USA during the dictatorship,” noting that Washington had brought forward its strategic interest because of the Cold War. (source: ANA)
Republican Vice president of Greek origin Spyro Agnew had visited Greece in 1971 in a move that showed clear support of the Nixon administration to the junta colonels.
PS Decades later, it shows that whether the Democrats or the Republicans in Washington, both the Greek-Turkish and the Cyprus issues remain unsolved. So much of positive US influence in the area. But one should not that Clinton indeed diplomatically intervened in 1996 and averted a dangerous conflict escalation between Greece and Turkey during the Imia crisis.
