With considerable expectations, Athens is awaiting this afternoon the American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as part of his official visit to our country.The presence of the head of the State Department in Athens for the 6th Round of the Greece–US Strategic Dialogue has in itself particular political significance. Rubio, ahead of this specific trip, described Greece as a “very important ally” of the United States, underscoring both their military presence here and the strong economic ties between the two sides.
What the government seeks is for this political assessment to also acquire practical content, at an extremely critical juncture, through the tangible continuation of Washington's support for the upgrading of our country and its role as a regional hub.
The 6th Strategic Dialogue, which will take place tomorrow, includes a particularly broad field of discussions: regional issues, international developments, security and defense, energy, shipping, technology, trade and investments. The first session will be held at plenary level, while it will be preceded by a bilateral meeting of the two foreign ministers and joint statements.
At the top of the Greek agenda is energy. The presence of Chevron and ExxonMobil in hydrocarbon exploration, the new energy infrastructure and above all the Vertical Corridor have created a web of American and Greek interests that links our country with the energy security of the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe.
Exploration south of Crete also falls within the same framework. The American presence lends different weight to Greece's energy activity in the Eastern Mediterranean, in a region where geopolitical balances remain fragile.
Additional equipment
An important chapter is also defense cooperation. Greece has already proceeded with major agreements with the US, from the upgrade of the F-16s to the procurement of the F-35s, while the further strengthening of the capabilities of the Greek Armed Forces with additional equipment remains on the table.
Athens' interest, however, is not limited to yet another arms agreement. What it seeks is the overall strengthening of the American presence and defense cooperation in the region, in a way that reflects Greece's strategic role on NATO's southeastern flank.
Indicative in this direction is the planned letter of intent for cooperation between the Greek Armed Forces and the Florida National Guard. At the same time, a memorandum will be signed for the mutual recognition of seafarers' certificates of competency, while the agreement for the protection of archaeological and ethnological material will also be renewed.
Of its own significance, moreover, is the fact that the American minister's program does not include a stop in Ankara, although of course this does not imply a change in American policy toward Turkey.
The Greek side would like clear references to the importance of international law, regional stability and the need to avoid actions that can lead to renewed tension. At the same time, it knows that Washington is interested in maintaining cohesion in NATO and stability in relations between the two allies.
A special place on the agenda is also expected to be held by the Cyprus issue, together with the broader developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. The American stance on the issue of the island, the Greece–Cyprus–Israel energy cooperation and the regional interconnections constitute for Athens critical elements of a broader architecture of security and energy.
American diplomacy has over time treated Greece as an important partner in the region, while the Strategic Dialogue has precisely the purpose of linking defense and energy cooperation with overall regional stability.
Within the same framework also falls the electrical interconnection of Cyprus, a project with a European dimension, regarding which Athens has conveyed that it will proceed according to its planning, despite Turkey's reactions.