Political Quotes

“on March 25, 2008, we marked the 187th anniversary of Greek independence. Throughout 400 years of oppressive rule by the Ottoman Empire, the Greeks were able to maintain their language, religion, and their sense of identity. In 1821, the Greeks began an 8-year war of independence and in 1829 became the first country within the powerful Ottoman Empire to achieve its freedom. Today, Greece remains one of the oldest democracies in the world, a tribute to those brave Greek citizens who risked everything in the quest for liberty and freedom. Our own Founding Fathers were deeply influenced by the philosophers and statesmen of ancient Greece who first imagined the idea of a republic. The United States enjoys a long history of cooperation with our Greek friends, and we owe much of our civic foundations to the Greek concept that the power to govern is vested in the people. Throughout the 20th century, Greece has been a stalwart ally, and is one of only three countries in the world outside the British Commonwealth that has allied with the United States in every major international conflict. American and Greek soldiers have fought alongside each other in efforts to advance freedom, democracy, peace, and stability. In this century the Greece-U.S. relationship has deepened as the two countries have partnered to spread greater security, stability, and prosperity throughout the Mediterranean, Southeastern Europe, and the Caucasus.”