Barring unforeseen developments, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected in Athens by late spring for the sixth round of the U.S.–Greece Strategic Dialogue.
At the heart of the talks lies the renewal of the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), the cornerstone of bilateral defense ties since it was first signed in 1990. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has publicly committed to reviewing and updating the agreement, which regulates the U.S. military presence and operations in Greece.
According to diplomatic sources, Athens and Washington are in constant contact to settle on the right timing for Rubio’s visit to the Greek capital. The two foreign ministers have kept communication channels open as they work to identify a window in the U.S. secretary of state’s packed schedule. Rubio himself was the first to express his intention to combine the Athens visit with the next round of the Strategic Dialogue between the two allied countries.
The first quarter of 2026 came and went without an available slot, as Rubio has been preoccupied with a heavy slate of international and regional crises he is personally overseeing. Still, officials say that — unless an unexpected development intervenes — the visit is now expected to take place in the spring, at the latest by the end of May.
The first quarter of 2026 passed without having found a suitable opening in Rubio’s calendar, as the top U.S. diplomat grappled with mounting international and regional crises that he was personally handling. Still, Greek officials insist that -barring another emergency- Rubio’s trip is now penciled in for spring, no later than the end of May.
Keeping the Relationship on Track
While the visit is still being finalized, other high-level contacts have sustain the momentum in bilateral relations.
Among them is US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, recently described by U.S. President Donald Trump as one of his most trusted envoys. On the Greek side, Stavros Papastavrou has been constantly engaging with his US counterparts. The Minister of Energy is currently in Washington at the invitation of the White House and U.S. officials Chris Wright and Doug Burgum for meetings focused on energy cooperation and the promotion of the “Vertical Corridor”.
Engagement has extended beyond the ministerial level to Capitol Hill. Last Friday, a U.S. congressional delegation visited the Maximos Mansion for talks attended by the Greek Prime Minister, Greece’s foreign minister, and the newly appointed director of the prime minister’s diplomatic office, Ekaterini Nassika. Fresh from Washington, Nassika who served as Greek Ambassador to the US, brings with her an extensive network of well-placed contacts in Washington who are favorably inclined toward Greece, strengthening her hand in advancing bilateral relations.
The Trump Factor
The evolving strategic puzzle may culminate in an even more symbolic visit.
President Trump has reportedly expressed his intention to visit Greece, a country he recently described as one he admires deeply, asking that his “warm regards” be conveyed to Mitsotakis. Guilfoyle revealed weeks ago that Trump was eager to travel to Greece soon. It is no secret that individuals close to the president have floated the idea of a high-profile speech delivered against the backdrop of the Acropolis.
No official date has been set, but early July is increasingly seen as a realistic window. A NATO summit is scheduled for July 7–8 in Ankara, while July 4 marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence — a symbolic milestone that could add historic weight to a presidential visit to Athens.
For now, Athens is in no rush for a summit meeting. Greek officials appear intent on maintaining careful diplomatic balance, keeping lines of communication open while steadily investing in the sectors that bind the two countries together: energy, defense, shipping, trade and investment.
Source: tanea.gr
