Gus Bilirakis on Marco Rubio and State Dept. policy

The Greek-American legislator made special reference to the natural gas liquefaction and connectivity enhancement projects, arguing that the appointment of his Republican colleague from Florida is a positive development for American interests, US allies and the Eastern Mediterranean region.

As he noted, “a more connected and united Eastern Mediterranean will result in more prosperity, stability and peace.”

In this light, he recalled that Marco Rubio participates in Senate groups that are directly or indirectly related to the issues concerning our country. Among them, the groups for International Religious Freedom, Hellenic Affairs and the Hellenic-Israeli Alliance stand out.

Furthermore, Gus Bilirakis focused on the fact that Marco Rubio was one of the legislators who submitted the two key bills that Donald Trump had signed for the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The first was the East Med Act of 2019 and the second was the U.S.-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act of 2021.

“These initiatives strengthened the defense partnership between the United States and Greece, supporting Greek military modernization and multilateral security efforts between Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and the United States,” said Billirakis in his statement.

Regarding Turkey, the congressman expressed confidence that the new head of the State Department will ensure that President Erdogan is held accountable for his behavior. In particular, he claimed that Marco Rubio will refuse to allow Turkey to return to the F-35 fighter program due to its possession of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

Finally, Representative Bilirakis' statement concludes by saying that Senator Rubio will be an excellent Secretary of State who will prioritize American interests around the world, strengthen partnerships with US allies, and help consolidate stability and peace wherever possible.