The US Secretary of State in Athens said the Islamic Republic has been unable to benefit from the various opportunities to reach an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program.

Marco Rubio made these remarks on Wednesday after meeting with Giorgos Gerapetritis, Greece’s foreign minister, at a joint press conference in Athens.

He called Greece a “real, strong ally and a model in NATO,” and said the country “remains a major ally and has a shared understanding with the United States of the threats facing both countries.”

Rubio said having diverse corridors to supply energy is of key importance. He also announced the start of a new exchange of information in the fight against terrorism between US and Greek law enforcement agencies, and said the two countries are cooperating to counter illegal trafficking of cultural artifacts.