US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Iceland, Greece and Portugal from October 5 to 8 as Washington seeks to strengthen economic, security and defence cooperation with key European partners.
The US State Department said Rubio will begin the trip in Reykjavik, where he will meet Icelandic officials to discuss economic and security cooperation. The visit comes as the United States and its Arctic allies continue to focus on regional security and infrastructure.
Rubio will then travel to Athens, where he will lead the US delegation for the sixth session of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue. The high-level talks are expected to focus on defence cooperation, energy security and wider regional issues.
The dialogue was established in 2018 and has become an important platform for discussions between Washington and Athens. Greek and US officials are expected to address bilateral relations as well as developments affecting security in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Energy is expected to be an important part of the discussions, with Greece playing a growing role in regional energy connectivity. The Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection and other projects in the Eastern Mediterranean are also expected to feature in the broader discussions.
Defence and regional security are also expected to remain high on the agenda. The two countries have maintained close defence ties, while issues involving the wider Eastern Mediterranean have added importance to their strategic dialogue.
After Greece, Rubio will travel to Lisbon for meetings with Portuguese officials. According to the State Department, the talks will focus on strengthening defence, economic and technology cooperation between the United States and Portugal.
The European tour comes as Washington continues diplomatic engagement with European allies on security, energy and economic issues. Rubio's meetings are expected to provide an opportunity to discuss both bilateral relations and broader regional developments.
The October 5–8 trip will therefore take Rubio through three NATO countries, with discussions expected to cover security cooperation, energy, economic relations and technology.
The visit also highlights Washington's effort to maintain close engagement with European partners as security and economic priorities continue to evolve across the continent.