US Chief of Staff, EU Commissioner in Athens

Later, Oettinger will meet with Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Yannis Maniatis and deputy minister Asimakis Papageorgiou.

At the focus of the commissioner's visit will be energy issues, in light of the Greek EU presidency, which begins on 1 January 2014.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff of US armed forces, general Martin Dempsey, will be in Greece over the weekend in an effort to clear all impediments for the transfer of helicopters, main battle tanks (MBT), and multiple rocket launchers.

The transfer of 10 CH-47D Chinook transport helicopters, 70-80 M1A1 Abrams MBTs, and 36-40 MLRS rocket launch systems has already met the approval of the relevant parliamentary defense committee and the deal will be clinched in discussions between the US official and defense minister Dimitris Avramopoulos and Greek armed forces head general Mihalis Kostarakos.

The deal was to be finalized in early autumn, but had been postponed due to the crisis in Syria.