Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitostakis met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the US military base on the island of Crete, where Washington renewed its support for dialogue between Greece and Turkey.
Pompeo said that the new naval base in Crete will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the US and Greek navies, noting that Greece and Turkey are allies in NATO, and that Washington supports dialogue between them.
Pompeo's visit comes amid increasing talk about the United States' intention to increase its military presence in the military bases included in the context of the joint military defense agreement last year.
The United States is currently developing 84 F-16s owned by Greece, in addition to providing the Greek Navy with modern helicopters.
For his part, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said that establishing a second military base on the island of Crete is a matter that is required by the current circumstances, as his country wants a bigger role in the eastern Mediterranean.
He added that the coming days will witness the amendment of the military cooperation agreement between his country and the United States, and that the United States attaches great strategic importance to this base.
Greece and Turkey - the two countries in NATO - agreed to resume exploratory talks on the conflicting demands of maritime sovereignty between them, after weeks of anxiety and tension.
"We hope that these talks will continue in a serious manner," Pompeo said.