US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to visit Athens for Greece-US Strategic Dialogue
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Greek leaders in Athens on 7 October 2026 to launch the sixth Greece-US Strategic Dialogue and sign three bilateral cooperation accords.
Strategic dialogue in Athens
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in Athens on Tuesday before holding a series of high-level diplomatic meetings on Wednesday, 7 October 2026. Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis will host Rubio at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a bilateral discussion at 09:00, followed by joint press statements at 09:30. At 10:00, both foreign ministers will officially open the sixth round of the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, an institutional framework established in 2018. Rubio will also meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during the visit. The plenary session and subsequent working groups will address nine thematic areas, including defense, energy, shipping, regional developments, trade, technology, and law enforcement.
- Giorgos Gerapetritis hosts Marco Rubio for a bilateral meeting at the Greek Foreign Ministry
- Foreign ministers deliver joint press statements
- Official opening of the 6th Greece-US Strategic Dialogue plenary session
Three bilateral agreements
The summit will produce three formal bilateral agreements covering defense, maritime transport, and cultural heritage. Greece and the United States will sign a Letter of Intent to establish official cooperation between the Hellenic Armed Forces and the Florida National Guard. In maritime transport, the two governments will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the mutual recognition of seafarer Certificates of Competency under the 1978 STCW Convention to facilitate employment and naval training. Additionally, officials will renew a memorandum imposing US import restrictions on Greek archaeological and ethnological materials dating up to the 15th century AD. Broader defense cooperation continues under the indefinite Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, which covers ongoing procurement programs including F-35 fighter aircraft.
Energy infrastructure and regional security
Energy cooperation forms a central pillar of the talks, with Greek officials presenting cross-border infrastructure initiatives. A consortium consisting of ExxonMobil, Energean, and HELLENiQ ENERGY is preparing exploratory offshore hydrocarbon drilling in Greece. Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou pointed to the strategic function of the Vertical Gas Corridor running through the northern port of Alexandroupoli, reversing traditional gas flows from South to North. Greek authorities also completed regulatory procedures in August and September for French investment firm Meridiam's entry into the Great Sea Interconnector electricity cable linking Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Papastavrou dismissed claims of external coercion regarding Greece's regional energy policy.
There was never any question of pressure or threat to our country to take any action.
Diplomatic itinerary and Arctic prelude
The Athens visit follows Rubio's stop in Reykjavik, Iceland, on Monday for talks on economic and security cooperation. The Arctic visit builds on a recent security accord between Washington and Greenland signed during the UN General Assembly in New York. Iceland, which has maintained no standing military since achieving independence in 1944, relies for defense on NATO and a 1951 bilateral treaty with the United States. In August, 52.8% of Icelandic voters rejected a referendum proposal to resume European Union accession talks. Rubio's Mediterranean itinerary takes place without a scheduled stop in Turkey, where officials have recently contested maritime rights surrounding planned underwater electricity cables in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
