Kimberly Guilfoyle, the United States Ambassador to Greece, announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Athens in a few weeks, calling it evidence of the strategic importance the administration of President Donald Trump places on Greece.
Guilfoyle said Rubio would be in Greece within a matter of weeks, tying his visit to Washington's growing view of Greece's strategic and energy significance. She said that given the number of international crises underway, Rubio could choose to visit almost anywhere in the world, but was choosing Greece because it is, in her words, a very important ally of the United States and a particularly important energy partner.
Rubio, a former Republican senator from Florida, has served as the top US diplomat since Trump began his second term in January 2025. Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host and longtime Trump ally, has served as US Ambassador to Greece.
Guilfoyle said the visit was expected to give new political momentum to the strategic relationship between Athens and Washington, with energy, infrastructure and regional security at the center of the agenda.
Energy security is national security
Speaking at the 10th Southeast Europe Energy Forum (SEEF2026) in Thessaloniki, Guilfoyle presented Greece as a central node in the emerging energy map of southeast Europe and as one of the United States' key partners in strengthening energy security in the region.
The Southeast Europe Energy Forum is an annual gathering in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, that brings together government officials and energy executives from across the region.
Guilfoyle said energy security is national security, and said Greece is playing a transformative role as a central hub of the Vertical Corridor, a route that links gas supplies from Greece northward through the Balkans. She said the US strategy is to shield allies by strengthening their energy independence, with Greece emerging as a leading example of that policy. She added that the United States considers Greece a very strong and stable strategic ally in the region, and that Athens is an active participant in the new energy architecture taking shape in Europe.
New momentum for the Vertical Corridor
Guilfoyle focused heavily on the Vertical Corridor, which is taking on a wider regional dimension as it expands toward Serbia and North Macedonia. She pointed to the signing of a related memorandum of cooperation, saying it further strengthens Greece's geopolitical and energy role.
She said the expansion genuinely broadens Greece's reach and importance in the region. According to the American side, the Vertical Corridor is part of a wider strategy to realign energy flows in Europe and reduce dependence on Russian energy.
Guilfoyle called on Balkan governments to plan for the long term so they do not remain energy-dependent on what she called malicious actors like Russia.
LNG deals with ExxonMobil and Chevron
Guilfoyle spoke at length about agreements to supply American liquefied natural gas, describing cooperation between Greece and the United States as a framework that now goes well beyond gas alone.
She referred to agreements and investment moves by energy groups including ExxonMobil and Chevron, as well as initiatives tied to the first offshore drilling in Greece in four decades. She also recalled the cooperation between Greece, the United States and Ukraine to supply the port of Odesa with American LNG via the Vertical Corridor during the energy crisis that followed the war.
From energy consumer to supplier
Guilfoyle said the shift in Greece's role on the regional energy map is now structural. She said Greece has transformed from an energy consumer into an energy supplier for the entire region, giving Athens a leading role in new natural gas interconnections and in energy flows toward the Balkans and wider southeast Europe.
According to the American approach, Greece's geography, its LNG infrastructure and its interconnections with neighboring markets are key factors turning the country from a final destination for energy cargoes into an entry and distribution gate for the European market.
US interest in Greek ports and shipping
Guilfoyle also highlighted growing American investment interest in Greek infrastructure, pointing specifically to the US Development Finance Corporation's investment in the port of Eleusis.
She spoke about the potential for further cooperation in ports, logistics and shipping, pointing to Greece's geostrategic value as a gateway for energy and trade into the European interior. She made particular mention of contacts with leading Greek shipowners and discussions on the security of maritime routes and the transport of energy cargoes.
Guilfoyle framed Rubio's coming arrival in Athens as carrying particular weight, saying it is not just a high-level diplomatic visit but comes at a time when Washington regards Greece as a critical link both for the energy security of southeast Europe and for its broader strategic presence in the region.
