On the Pnyx, where citizens of ancient Athens once gathered to debate the future of their city, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to deliver a message about a very modern partnership.
Rubio arrives in Athens on Tuesday, October 6, as Greece and the United States prepare for the sixth round of their Strategic Dialogue. His visit comes as the relationship between Athens and Washington expands beyond traditional defense cooperation into energy, technology, shipping, investment and regional security.
Rubio is scheduled to speak at the Pnyx on Wednesday, adding a powerful Greek setting to a visit centered on the future of the two countries’ strategic ties.
His trip is part of a wider European tour from October 5 to 8 that also includes Iceland and Portugal. The U.S. State Department has said that the Greece stop will focus on defense cooperation as well as regional and energy security.
The Sixth Greece-US Strategic Dialogue
Rubio’s official program in Athens begins Wednesday with a meeting with Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two ministers will hold bilateral talks before making joint statements to the press. They will then officially open the sixth round of the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, followed by its first plenary session.
The Greece-US Strategic Dialogue was launched in Washington in December 2018. The fifth round was held in Washington on February 9, 2024, with Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The Athens meeting follows a high-level encounter earlier this year. Gerapetritis met Rubio in Washington on February 26, 2026, for talks on the bilateral relationship and regional developments.
This year’s agenda is broad. Senior officials from the two countries are expected to discuss regional and international developments, security and law enforcement, energy, shipping, technology, trade, investment and defense.
The range of subjects reflects how far the relationship has developed. Defense remains central, but energy and economic cooperation now occupy a much larger place in the bilateral agenda.
Three Agreements on the Table
The Strategic Dialogue is also expected to produce three agreements or cooperation documents.
The two countries are expected to renew an agreement concerning U.S. import restrictions on categories of archaeological and ethnological material dating through the 15th century A.D.
A Letter of Intent is also expected to establish cooperation between the Hellenic Armed Forces and the Florida National Guard.
The third agreement concerns the mutual recognition of certificates of competency for seafarers under the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training. Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, known as STCW. The agreement is intended to support employment opportunities for seafarers and cooperation in maritime education.
Energy and Regional Security
Energy is expected to be one of the most important subjects in the discussions.
The United States has identified regional and energy security as key priorities for Rubio’s Greece visit. For Athens, the country’s position as an energy gateway to Southeast Europe has become increasingly important.
The two sides are also expected to discuss wider regional developments and security challenges affecting the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Europe.
Rubio himself described Greece as a “very important ally” of the United States before his visit. He pointed to both the American military presence in Greece and the strong economic ties between the two countries.
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