US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Athens on Tuesday evening for talks expected to finalize Greece's purchase of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets.
Rubio was welcomed at the airport by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle ahead of the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue.
Guilfoyle said the visit highlighted the strength of the alliance and a shared commitment to advancing the US president's priorities on defense, trade and energy.
Athens is the only stop on Rubio's tour of the wider region.
He traveled from the airport to the Conrad Athens The Ilisian hotel, formerly the Hilton, in a 32-vehicle convoy that included 25 security and police cars and vans, six police motorcycles and an ambulance.
Rubio arrived at the hotel at 21:50 under heavy security. Traffic restrictions in central Athens were lifted following his arrival.
Aegean air superiority
The visit is expected to seal the procurement of 20 F-35A Lightning II aircraft for the Greek air force, with an option for 20 more. The Greek government expects the strategic weapons to enhance its air superiority over the Aegean Sea.
Athens seeks to reaffirm bilateral relations and further strengthen its defense infrastructure amid geopolitical changes.
The wider agenda for the strategic dialogue includes energy, defense, regional security, interconnectivity, investments and technology.
Rubio and Gerapetritis are scheduled to make joint statements at 10:30 on Wednesday following their meeting.
He will then inaugurate a new wing at the US embassy and deliver a speech at the Pnyx, a hill in central Athens that was the gathering place for the popular assembly in ancient Greece.
Florida National Guard
Rubio will meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the afternoon, following the premier's return from Croatia.
Ministers will sign three agreements during the strategic dialogue, including a letter of intent for cooperation between the Greek armed forces and the Florida National Guard.
The two sides will also sign a memorandum on recognizing seafarers' certificates of competency under the 1978 STCW convention, and renew an agreement restricting the import of archaeological and ethnological materials dating up to the 15th century.
The visit will conclude with a dinner in Rubio's honor attended by Mitsotakis and Gerapetritis.
