U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Athens on Tuesday evening to lead the American delegation at the sixth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, in a visit Greek officials say comes as bilateral ties reach one of their highest points.
Mr. Rubio, who will meet Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is the first sitting secretary of state to lead the dialogue.
The State Department has listed regional and energy security, alongside defense, as core priorities for the talks.
Athens plans to raise Turkey's recent challenges to Greek activities in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, which Greece says fall squarely within its sovereign rights.
Officials are expected to press for respect for international law and the law of the sea.
Energy is expected to feature prominently, including the Vertical Corridor for transporting U.S. liquefied natural gas to the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe, hydrocarbon exploration, and electricity interconnection projects.
The 3+1 format linking Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the United States will also be discussed.
On defense, the agenda includes the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, the strategic role of Souda Bay and Alexandroupolis, and Greece's F-35 order.
Athens is also watching U.S. debate over Turkey's possible return to the F-35 program.
Mr. Rubio has said Turkey cannot rejoin while it retains Russia's S-400 air defense system, because of existing U.S. law.
Greek officials say continuity matters: Athens invested heavily in ties under President Joe Biden, and the dialogue now takes place under President Donald Trump without interruption to core cooperation.
As a senator, Mr. Rubio co-sponsored legislation with Bob Menendez strengthening U.S. ties with Greece, Cyprus and Israel, giving him a reputation in Athens as friendly.
But officials acknowledge those positions have not translated into a major shift in Washington's Turkey policy, given Ankara's importance on Syria, the Black Sea and the Caucasus.
New Democracy lawmaker Angelos Syrigos has argued that Greece should broaden its geopolitical footprint beyond Greek-Turkish issues, noting that closer Athens-Washington ties need not come at the expense of U.S.-Turkey relations.
By Antonis Telopoulos