Μake us preferred on Google US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has underscored the importance Washington attaches to its alliance with Athens, describing Greece as a “very important ally” ahead of his visit to the Greek capital.
Asked about the European stops on his Oct. 5-8 tour of Iceland, Greece and Portugal, Rubio highlighted both the military and economic dimensions of the US-Greece relationship.
“Greece is a very important US ally. It’s a place where we have not just a military presence but strong economic ties,” Rubio said, adding that the visit would provide an opportunity to meet with Greek officials.
Rubio is due to arrive in Athens on Tuesday and will lead the US delegation at the sixth Greece-US Strategic Dialogue on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The State Department has identified defense cooperation as well as regional and energy security among the key areas for further cooperation.
The Athens visit comes as the two countries seek to deepen a strategic relationship that has increasingly extended beyond traditional defense cooperation. Energy security is expected to feature prominently in the talks, including regional energy infrastructure and US liquefied natural gas supplies to southeastern Europe and the western Balkans.
