Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou has denied a report published in the "Wall Street Journal" that US Ambassador to Athens Kimberly Guilfoyle "made threats" that Washington could overthrow the government, the online edition of the Greek newspaper "Kathimerini" reports.
According to the American newspaper, the threats were made during a dinner in Athens in March this year in the presence of the Energy Minister. The "Wall Street Journal" publication It is stated that in connection with the situation that subsequently led to the fall of the then government of Romania, Guilfoyle stated that this could be done by the US in Greece as well.
At the beginning of the week, the Greek government denied the information.
"There was never a question of a threat against the Greek government", said government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis.
The article caused political tension in Athens, with opposition parties demanding clarifications from the ruling party.
"There was never pressure or a threat", the Minister of Energy told MPs today, adding that such actions would not be "tolerated".
According to Papastavou, Greek-American relations are at an extremely high level and are based on mutual respect.
"Within the framework of such cooperation between the two countries, "there could be no threats of such content," the Greek Minister of Energy also pointed out.
At the same time, leading Democratic representatives on the US Senate and House Foreign Affairs committees called on the State Department to investigate Kimberly Guilfoyle's actions regarding her efforts to promote gas supply deals with a Greek company in Southeast Europe, the Wall Street Journal reported today.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Democratic Representative Jeanne Shaheen on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee expressed concern about Kimberly Guilfoyle's "inappropriate use" of her official position and the inclusion of a "registered lobbyist" in her meetings with foreign government officials.
The person mentioned by the Wall Street Journal lobbyist is a central figure in the publication's investigation, which also caused a sharp reaction in Bucharest.
According to the information, 39-year-old Christos Marafatsos, who is a representative of the Greek community in the United States and is registered as a lobbyist for AKTOR (part of the Greek construction and infrastructure company ΑKTOR GROUP - ed.) in the United States, has often attended Guilfoyle's meetings with high-ranking representatives of countries in Southeast Europe.