Rubio arrives in Europe: Russia and the Middle Date at the center of the tour

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins his European visit today, with stops in Iceland, Greece and Portugal.

His trip, which will continue through October 8, will include discussions on security, defense, energy, economic cooperation and technological development.

Rubio arrives at a time when NATO allies are facing new concerns about Russia’s military activities, the war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.

During his visit to Reykjavik, Rubio will address security issues in the Arctic and North Atlantic, the protection of critical infrastructure and cooperation with NATO. Although it has no standing army, Iceland holds strategic importance because of its location and the Keflavik Air Base.

In Athens, on October 6 and 7, the secretary of state will participate in the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, which will place greater emphasis on regional security.

Rubio’s final stop will be Lisbon. There, the talks will focus on defense, economic development and technology.

Portugal holds strategic importance for the United States because of its location on the Atlantic and the Lajes Air Base in the Azores.

The main aim of the visit, according to informed sources, is to strengthen cooperation with three NATO allies at a time when Euro-Atlantic security is strained.