Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras has said that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's response on Turkey's objections to a planned undersea cable was "deeply disappointing," and warned that Washington may gain more than Athens from the visit.
Speaking to journalist Niki Lymperaki at a conference organized by the newspaper To Vima, the leader of the new left-wing ELAS party said he was troubled by Mr. Rubio's remarks after meeting Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis.
Mr. Rubio said the cable question does not concern Greece alone and would be discussed privately, which Mr. Tsipras called a "Pontius Pilate" stance, saying Washington was washing its hands of a "flagrant violation of international law."
Mr. Tsipras argued that under the law of the sea a country need not seek another's permission to lay a telecommunications cable, even across its continental shelf, unlike a pipeline.
Turkey has said it does not object to cables in general but to work in waters where it claims sovereign rights.
He said he welcomed the Strategic Dialogue, which began under his government, but that its value lies in results.
"I'm afraid those who will gain are the United States, which seems to be seeking new weapons purchases from Greece," he said, adding he hoped he was wrong.
The talks ended with $4 billion in announced U.S. arms sales.
On the decision to host Mr. Rubio's speech at the Pnyx, where ancient Athenians held democratic assemblies, Mr. Tsipras called it a "daring" choice.
He noted such a speech by a foreign minister had been allowed once before, in 1959. Given what he called the MAGA movement's ambiguous relationship with democracy, he said, the government would own the consequences if Mr. Rubio gave an ideological address.
Mr. Mitsotakis's government has called relations with the U.S. the strongest ever.