Talks between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Maximos Mansion concluded shortly after 8pm, as did the US-Greece bilateral meeting. The Greek side is currently hosting a dinner for the Secretary of State at a central Athens hotel.

The meeting reaffirmed the historically high level of Greek-American relations and the shared will to deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation in defence and security, energy security, trade, investment, technology, shipping, education and culture.

The Prime Minister underlined Greece’s role as a pillar of stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean, and as a reliable partner and ally with a pivotal part to play in the security of partners and allies at a time of major geopolitical realignment and instability across the wider region.

Mitsotakis stressed that Greece has stood by its Gulf partners, and reiterated the country’s commitment to the security and freedom of navigation, which is borne out in practice by its contribution of ships to the European EUNAVFOR ASPIDES operation in the Red Sea.

The two sides also exchanged views on connectivity issues and projects that strengthen energy security and regional connectivity.

Recent international and regional developments were discussed too, with an emphasis on Ukraine, Iran, the Middle East and the wider Eastern Mediterranean. Both sides also highlighted the role of the Greek community in the US as a bridge of understanding and friendship between the two countries.

The talks followed Rubio’s address to audiences in Athens in which he spoke of the decisive influence of ancient Greece on the shaping of Western civilisation, and of the United States in particular, in his address at the historic Pnyx hill, with the Acropolis as a backdrop.

America’s top diplomat stressed that, unlike the ruins of other civilisations that have faded from living memory, the Acropolis has for thousands of years continued to exert a unique hold on the imagination of the Western world.

“There are great ruins all over the world. In many cases they are places where history seems to have exhausted itself, the remains of distant civilisations long since lost to living memory. But the Acropolis is different,” said Rubio, who will later meet Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Watch Rubio’s speech here

EARLIER TODAY

Greece and Florida National Guard sign defence cooperation agreement

Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and Rubio attended the signing ceremony for the defence cooperation agreement between the Hellenic Armed Forces and the Florida National Guard. The agreement was signed by Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General Dimitrios Houpis and Florida National Guard commander John Haas.

The Greek defence minister stressed that the presence of the US Secretary of State underlines the close strategic relationship between Greece and the United States.

For his part, Rubio reiterated Greece’s important role as a strategic ally in the region.

Earlier, Rubio expressed US gratitude, saying that “Greece remains a steadfast and great ally”, in statements alongside Giorgos Gerapetritis following their meeting at the Foreign Ministry. He added that “we are fully committed to energy cooperation with Greece because it is in the interest of global security”.

The US State Department also posted on X: “Secretary Rubio: We are proud to announce a new memorandum of understanding establishing a joint security program to strengthen counterterrorism information sharing between our respective law enforcement agencies.”

For his part, Gerapetritis referred to the Vertical Corridor, which he said reflects “unprecedented levels of energy cooperation” with the US. He noted that the F-35s highlight defence cooperation and stressed the need to resolve the Cyprus issue on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions, as well as the fact that Greece has become a security provider. He also said that “if it becomes necessary, we are in a position to help the US naval-wise in the Strait of Hormuz, provided there is a viable peace process”.

Earlier still, opening the 6th Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, Rubio sent the message that Greece is an indispensable NATO ally and a pillar of stability. He referred to the Vertical Corridor and Greece’s importance as a secure energy hub, and also mentioned ancient Greece ahead of his speech later this afternoon.

Gerapetritis, for his part, stressed that “cooperation with the US has never been stronger”, describing Greece as “an anchor of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean” and noting that “Greece-US relations have strong foundations”.

The symbolic gift that the President of the Republic gave Rubio after his speech at the Pnyx

The President of the Republic presented the US Secretary of State with a copy of Pericles’ Funeral Oration in English translation, inside a folder

President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas arrived at the Pnyx, where he was welcomed by Rubio, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and the US Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle.

As Mendoni and Guilfoyle went ahead to take their seats, the President had a brief conversation with Rubio about his impressions of his short stay in Athens, which has lasted a single day.

Tasoulas then followed to Rubio’s speech, which contained extensive references to ancient Greece and to the dominant importance of Greek civilisation for the development of the West. At the end, the President congratulated him on the speech and presented him with a gift: a book inside a folder.

Pericles’ Funeral Oration, published by the Hellenic Parliament Foundation, included a handwritten dedication in English. The work is a magnificent speech that defined the greatness of ancient Athens and the essence of the Greek spirit, delivered by Pericles, the great statesman of the Golden Age. Pericles gave the oration at the Kerameikos, although he of course often spoke at the Pnyx.