The US and Greece announced $4 billion in Foreign Military Sales to support Athens’ long-term defense plans as the two countries pledged Wednesday to deepen security and economic cooperation.
– The announcement came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis presided over the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens, according to a joint statement released by the US State Department.
– The two sides said the military sales would support Greece’s defense plans and deepen interoperability, while they would also explore further cooperation between their defense industries, including in innovative technologies.
– They also finalized Greece’s participation in the US National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program with Florida and said interoperability would be enhanced through the provision of Stryker vehicles to Greece.
– Washington and Athens, according to the statement, also agreed to expand law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation and reiterated their commitment to addressing irregular migration.
– On economic ties, the two countries pledged to strengthen trade and investment while cooperating on investment screening and the protection of critical infrastructure procurement.
– They also highlighted cooperation in high-performance computing, cybersecurity and advanced technologies as well as energy ties involving the Vertical Gas Corridor and hydrocarbon exploration.
– The two governments additionally extended their Cultural Property Agreement to protect cultural heritage and combat illicit trafficking networks.