Allison Hooker, one of the senior figures in the U.S. State Department, has arrived in Athens for a series of high-level meetings with Greek officials, as Washington and Athens continue to deepen their longstanding relationship.
The visit was confirmed by U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, who welcomed Hooker to Greece and said the meetings would explore new opportunities to strengthen regional security, expand economic cooperation and deepen the bilateral relationship between the United States and Greece.
For Greece, the visit brings to Athens a senior American diplomat whose portfolio extends across some of Washington’s most important regional and bilateral relationships.
I am pleased to welcome Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs @UnderSecStateP Allison Hooker to Greece. 🇺🇸🇬🇷
I look forward to a series of high-level meetings with our Greek partners to explore new opportunities to strengthen regional security, expand economic…
— Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle (@USAmbassadorGR) September 1, 2026
Who is Allison Hooker?
Hooker is the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, a senior State Department position responsible for overseeing broad regional and bilateral foreign-policy issues. She was sworn in as the 25th person to hold the position on June 5, 2025.
Her career has included extensive work on international security and Asian affairs.
During President Donald Trump’s first administration, Hooker served at the National Security Council as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asian Affairs, as well as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Korean Peninsula. Before joining the White House, she was a senior analyst in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, focusing on North Korea.
Her experience also includes a period outside government. After leaving the White House in January 2021, Hooker became a senior vice president at American Global Strategies, where she led the firm’s international practice.
A career shaped by Asia and diplomacy
Hooker’s professional background has been particularly focused on Asia and the Korean Peninsula.
She was involved in U.S. preparations for the Trump administration’s diplomacy with North Korea and brings extensive experience in relations involving Japan, China and Korea.
She studied international affairs at George Washington University and political science and public administration at Georgia College and State University. She was also a fellow at Osaka University and Keio University in Japan, where she researched Japan’s relations with China and Korea. She speaks Japanese.
That background gives her a particularly broad perspective on international security and the increasingly interconnected issues facing U.S. diplomacy.
Why her Athens visit matters
Hooker’s meetings in Athens come at a time when the United States and Greece are cooperating across several areas, including security, defense, energy and economic relations.
The U.S. Embassy’s announcement places regional security and economic cooperation alongside the broader bilateral relationship at the center of the visit.
The visit is also taking place as the two countries prepare for the next round of the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, a framework covering a wide range of bilateral and regional issues.
Greek reports have linked Hooker’s meetings to preparations for the sixth round of the dialogue and have reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou is expected to be among her interlocutors. Those details have been reported by Greek media, while the U.S. Embassy’s public statement confirms the broader purpose of Hooker’s visit.
There has also been reporting about a possible future visit to Greece by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, no specific date for such a visit has been officially confirmed, so it should not be presented as a settled part of Hooker’s current trip.
A senior diplomatic channel between Washington and Athens
Hooker’s position makes her visit significant beyond the individual meetings taking place in Athens.
As Under Secretary for Political Affairs, she operates at a level where regional developments and individual bilateral relationships intersect. Her portfolio gives her responsibility for a wide range of U.S. foreign-policy relationships, making direct discussions with Greek officials an important channel between Washington and Athens.
For Greece, the visit provides an opportunity to discuss not only immediate regional security concerns but also the wider future of the bilateral relationship, including economic cooperation and the countries’ broader strategic partnership.
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