Rubio and Iceland’s foreign minister hold news conference

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir are answering questions from Icelandic and U.S. journalists at a news conference in Safnahúsið, a building on Hverfisgata, mbl.is reported.

Rubio arrived in Iceland yesterday and began Tuesday with a meeting with Gunnarsdóttir at Höfði. He then went with his delegation to Safnahúsið, where he met Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir.

Police mounted a heavy security operation for the visit. At least 10 armed officers were stationed outside Höfði, and Hverfisgata was closed to traffic for the meeting. Rubio is due to make a brief stop at the U.S. embassy after the news conference before leaving Iceland.

Hö fði hosted the 1986 Reykjavík Summit between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Rubio said the house symbolised diplomacy’s role in ending the Cold War and defeating communism.