Vassilis Kaskarelis: Advancing NATO-EU Cooperation

Vassilis Kaskarelis, Greece’s recently posted Ambassador to the United States, joined the Atlantic Council for a private roundtable discussion to offer his assessment of the U.S.-EU relationship and NATO-EU cooperation.

Ambassador Kaskarelis emphasized his interest to expand the scope of U.S. and Greece dialogue from the issues of Turkey, Cyprus, and FYROM to other issues of mutual concern, namely, the Middle East, Balkans, anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden, and Afghanistan.

While acknowledging the importance of U.S. and European relations in the context of NATO, Kaskarelis stated that the Lisbon Treaty offers a basis for new cooperation between the United States and the EU – a topic discussed at length in the newly released Atlantic Council publication Forging a Strategic U.S.-EU Partnership, outlining a comprehensive plan for renewing U.S.-EU relations.

In addition, Ambassador Kaskarelis discussed ways to move forward on the issues of Turkey and Cyprus. On Afghanistan, Ambassador Kaskarelis discussed Greece’s involvement and possibility of future commitments.

Ambassador Kaskarelis’ remarks were part of the International Security Program’s NATO Forum, the Euro-Atlantic community’s premier venue for discussion, debate and analysis on issues relating to NATO and its future. The Forum features major public speeches from senior statesmen, roundtable strategy sessions with decision-makers and leading analysis from experts and practitioners from across the Atlantic on matters relating to the Alliance.

Vassilis Kaskarelis Bio:

Ambassador Kaskarelis has had a long diplomatic career, bringing to Washington 16 consecutive years of international experience, serving more recently as Greece’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Permanent Representative to NATO, and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. From 1976 to 1993, Ambassador Kaskarelis served, among various posts, in Ankara, Nicosia and in West Berlin, witnessing first-hand the fall of the Berlin Wall. As Permanent Representative to NATO, Kaskarelis was also a key negotiator on confidence building measures between Turkey and Greece.

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The NATO Forum is generously supported by BAE Systems.

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