Rubio is set to arrive in Athens Tuesday afternoon for the sixth round of the Greece-U.S. Strategic Dialogue.
His visit comes as relations between Greece and the United States continue to deepen, with Athens emphasizing its role as a factor of stability and security in the region.
The agenda
The sixth round of the Greece-U.S. Strategic Dialogue will take place in Athens on Wednesday, with Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Rubio leading the talks.
According to diplomatic sources, the two foreign ministers will hold a bilateral meeting at 9 a.m. at the Foreign Ministry, followed by statements to the press half an hour later. At 10 a.m., they will officially open the sixth round of the Strategic Dialogue.
Rubio will then meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The Strategic Dialogue will cover a broad range of areas of bilateral cooperation.
Working sessions involving senior officials from both countries will address regional issues and international developments, as well as security, energy, shipping, technology, trade, investment, defense and the strengthening of bilateral ties.
Agreements and cooperation
Three agreements and cooperation documents are expected to be signed as part of the Strategic Dialogue.
The two countries will renew a memorandum of understanding on the imposition of import restrictions on categories of archaeological and ethnological material dating through the 15th century A.D.
A Letter of Intent will also be signed to establish cooperation between the Greek Armed Forces and the Florida National Guard.
In addition, Greece and the United States will sign a memorandum of understanding on the mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificates of competency under the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, or STCW. The agreement is intended to facilitate employment for seafarers and strengthen bilateral cooperation in maritime education.
Diplomatic sources said Rubio’s visit and the sixth Strategic Dialogue reflect the level of Greek-U.S. relations and the two countries’ intention to further expand their cooperation.
Athens places particular importance on the timing of the visit amid geopolitical developments in the wider region. According to the same sources, Greece is seeking to strengthen its role as a stable and reliable strategic partner of the United States in Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Rubio calls Greece a ‘very important ally’
Speaking to reporters before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland for his short European tour, Rubio described Greece as a very important U.S. ally.
“Greece is a very important ally of the United States. It is a country where we have not only a military presence, but also strong economic ties. Therefore, it is an opportunity to visit,” Rubio said.
No Visit in Turkey
The visit is also notable because Rubio, during one of his relatively rare trips outside the United States, is not combining his stop in Greece with a visit to Turkey, departing from a traditional practice of the U.S. State Department.
The move underscores the separate nature of Greek-U.S. relations, independent of the broader Greek-Turkish framework.
The United States has consistently supported the 3+1 format bringing together Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the U.S., and has expressed support for connectivity projects across the Eastern Mediterranean.
