Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis travels to Washington for a meeting Wednesday at the US Department of State with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in talks unfolding at what officials describe as a critical juncture in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The visit comes as the United States has deployed significant military forces in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, amid anticipation of a possible strike on Iran. During Gerapetritis’ previous trip across the Atlantic from January 28 to 31 for the United Nations Security Council, the possibility of a meeting with Rubio was explored, but the US secretary of state’s schedule had no openings. An opening emerged this time, and Gerapetritis seized the opportunity.
The situation in the Middle East is at the center of the agenda. Within hours, the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is set to depart from the naval station at Souda in Marathi, Crete, with its destination unknown, likely Haifa or the Red Sea. The increased American presence is also evident at the nearby 115th Combat Wing in Akrotiri, where dozens of aircraft have landed and taken off in recent days, alongside the deployment of necessary anti-aircraft and counter-drone protection measures.
Gerapetritis is expected to present Greece’s longstanding positions on Middle Eastern issues, aiming in part to highlight stable alliances. Athens has invested in its alliance with Israel, with further issues expected to emerge in the coming period, chiefly military cooperation between the two countries and its advancement. Greece has also expressed its willingness to engage actively in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, in full alignment with US policy. For Greece, issues concerning minority rights in the Middle East, particularly Christian populations, are of particular importance, a point Gerapetritis has repeatedly raised publicly.
The visit comes two weeks after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with both leaders concluding that Athens and Ankara do not seek Washington’s mediation in resolving their differences. Bilateral matters also include discussion of the next Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, scheduled for this year in Athens. US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle has said publicly that President Donald Trump will visit Athens, though no date has been set.
During his stay, Gerapetritis will speak at the Atlantic Council and attend the signing ceremony of an agreement between ONEX Shipyards and Technologies and Hanwha Power Systems, alongside other government officials.