U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Athens, leading the U.S. delegation to the 6th Greece-U.S. Strategic Dialogue.
Following his trip to Iceland, the U.S. Secretary of State arrived in Greece at 9:30 p.m., where he was greeted by Kimberly Guilfoyle and George Gerapetritis.
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When asked about the stops on his European tour—in Greece and Portugal—Mr. Rubio focused on the military and economic dimensions of Greek-American relations.
He described Greece as a “very important ally” of the United States. As he noted, Greece is home not only to a U.S. military presence but also to strong economic ties. His visit, he added, is a great opportunity for engagement, and he also described Portugal as a “strong ally.”
Rallies in Athens and Thessaloniki
In central Athens, student associations, organizations, labor unions, and extra-parliamentary left-wing parties held a rally.
On the occasion of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Greece, people gathered on Tuesday afternoon at the Propylaea. They then attempted to march toward the U.S. Embassy, but were prevented from doing so by police forces.
The rally ended peacefully, and shortly before 9:00 p.m., the streets where traffic restrictions had been in place for the demonstrations were reopened to traffic.
Meanwhile, two anti-war rallies were also held in Thessaloniki.
Unions, student associations, and other organizations gathered at the Venizelos Statue, followed by a march through the main streets of Thessaloniki, which ended at Kamara
Groups from the anti-authoritarian movement held a separate rally at Kamara and marched to the Venizelos Statue.
Rubio’s itinerary
The main sessions of the Strategic Dialogue will take place on Wednesday, October 7, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to diplomatic sources, at 9:00, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis will hold a bilateral meeting with his American counterpart, followed half an hour later by joint statements to the press.
At 10:00, the 6th round will be officially opened.
This will be followed by the first plenary session, focusing on regional and international developments amid heightened geopolitical instability.
During the individual working sessions, with the participation of high-ranking officials from both countries, topics such as security, defense, energy, shipping, technology, trade, and investment, as well as the strengthening of ties between the two peoples.
The agreements to be signed
As part of the Dialogue, three agreements and cooperation documents are scheduled to be signed.
The Memorandum of Cooperation on the imposition of import restrictions on categories of archaeological and ethnological material dating up to the 15th century A.D. will be renewed. Greece and the U.S. will also sign a Letter of Intent (Letter of Intent) regarding cooperation between the Hellenic Armed Forces and the Florida National Guard.
Finally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed for the mutual recognition of Seafarers’ Certificates of Competency, based on the 1978 STCW International Convention, with the aim of facilitating the employment of seafarers and strengthening bilateral relations in the shipping sector.
Particular significance of the timing of Rubio’s visit
Diplomatic sources note that the visit and the Dialogue reflect the very high level of Greek-U.S. relations. The Greek side attaches particular importance to the timing, seeking to strengthen the country’s role as a stable and reliable strategic partner of the U.S. in Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Strategic Dialogue was launched in 2018 and serves as the primary institutional framework for monitoring and developing bilateral cooperation. The previous, 5th round took place in Washington in February 2024.
In recent years, cooperation has expanded into areas such as defense, energy, infrastructure, and digital technology, with key milestones including Greece’s participation in the “Artemis Accords” on space cooperation in 2024 and in the “Pax Silica” initiative in 2026, aimed at coordinating investments in high technology and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Source: iefimerida.gr
