US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected in Athens on October 6 for the sixth Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, with defence, energy and developments in the Eastern Mediterranean expected to feature prominently.
The US secretary is expected to arrive on Tuesday evening and hold the Strategic Dialogue the following day. The detailed agenda is still being finalised.
Defence and energy at the centre
Rubio is expected to meet Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, while a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is also anticipated. His departure is expected on the morning of October 8.
Defence cooperation and energy security are expected to be among the main areas discussed.
The Greece-US Strategic Dialogue covers a range of areas, including regional cooperation, defence and security, trade and investment, energy, counterterrorism and humanitarian issues.
The Greek Foreign Ministry said in February that Rubio had expressed his readiness to visit Greece for the Strategic Dialogue, with energy and regional developments also discussed at the time.
GSI and Eastern Mediterranean in focus
The Greece-Cyprus-Israel electricity interconnection, known as the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), is also expected to feature in discussions, alongside the wider energy architecture of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The region has been part of the Greece-US strategic relationship for years. The two countries have also supported the 3+1 framework involving Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the United States, covering areas including security, stability and economic cooperation.
Gerapetritis said in September that European partners and institutions were aware of developments concerning the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection, describing it as a European project.
Greece-Turkey relations in the background
Greece-Turkey relations are also expected to form part of the wider context of the talks.
Gerapetritis has said Athens wants to keep communication channels with Ankara open, while issues concerning Greek sovereignty are not part of negotiations. In September, he reiterated that discussions with Türkiye should be conducted on the basis of international law.
The reported absence of a planned stop in Ankara before or after Athens is also expected to attract attention. However, the report itself notes that such a programme, if confirmed, would not by itself establish a change in US policy towards Turkey.
Sixth round of strategic talks
The sixth Strategic Dialogue follows a process launched in 2018 and now serves as a regular framework for coordination between Athens and Washington.
As recently as June, Greece’s Foreign Ministry said there was still no official arrangement for the dialogue in Athens. In May, the ministry said both sides had expressed their intention to hold the sixth round in Athens before the end of 2026.
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