Rubio to meet Icelandic leaders in Reykjavík today

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected in Iceland on Monday and will meet government officials in Reykjavík to discuss economic and security cooperation, mbl.is reports, citing AFP and a statement from the US State Department.

Rubio accepted an invitation from Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, who said on October 1 that the countries’ cooperation rests on a strong foundation and that his visit reflects this.

AFP reported that growing competition in the Arctic has restored Iceland’s position as a strategically important country, while Iceland continues to rely heavily on the United States for security. The last US secretary of state to visit Iceland was Antony Blinken, in 2021.

After Iceland, Rubio is due to travel to Athens for talks on regional and energy security. His European trip will end with a brief stop in Lisbon.