The U.S. and Greece announced $4 billion in Foreign Military Sales on Wednesday to support Athens’ long-term defense plans as the NATO allies moved to expand security and economic cooperation.
The announcement came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis presided over the sixth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens, according to a joint statement released by the U.S. 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 U.S. 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.
