Rubio tells Greece Europe must shoulder greater defense burden
15:13, 07/10/2026, WednesdayU: Update: 15:23, 07/10/2026, Wednesday
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Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis (R) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) hold a joint press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Athens, Greece, on October 07, 2026.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Athens on Wednesday that European nations must assume greater responsibility for collective defense, commending Greece for meeting allied security spending targets while unveiling new agreements on counterterrorism intelligence sharing, National Guard partnerships, and efforts to combat illicit antiquities trafficking.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Athens on Wednesday that European nations must assume greater responsibility for collective defense. "One thing we agree on, for example, is that the nations of Europe need to take on a greater share of the burden in defending their continent, and Greece is doing just that," Rubio said alongside Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, noting that Athens remains on track to allocate 5 percent of its gross domestic product to defense.
Security and economic cooperation
Rubio announced that Athens would join the US National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, paired specifically with the Florida National Guard to deepen bilateral military interoperability, and unveiled a new memorandum of understanding establishing a joint security initiative to improve intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies on counterterrorism matters. He highlighted broader economic cooperation, emphasizing mutual goals to expand US liquefied natural gas shipments and build regional gas and electricity interconnectors, while noting that the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, FBI and Customs and Border Protection are cooperating with Greek authorities to intercept illicit antiquities trafficking networks.
Regional conflicts and Gaza
Gerapetritis said the two officials discussed major international issues including the continuing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, stressing that Athens and Washington share a common understanding of developments in the region. "The 20-point plan should go ahead to phase B in order to ensure viable peace and reconstruction in Gaza," he said, adding that actions, particularly in the West Bank, that create impediments to this objective should cease.
The Greek foreign minister also highlighted defense cooperation between the two countries, pointing to the upgrade of Greece's F-16 aircraft to the Viper configuration and the planned integration of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets into the Greek Air Force. Rubio attended the opening session of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue during the visit and is scheduled to deliver an evening address from the Pnyx and meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis before continuing to Portugal, the next stop on his multi-nation European tour that began in Iceland.
