Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis – who’s recuperating from the flu at the beginning of this week – spoke by phone on Monday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with talks expectedly touching on the ongoing conflict in Gaza as well as the situation in the Red Sea.

Athens has been closely following the situation in the Red Sea and threats to maritime shipping from attacks by the Yemen-based Houthi rebels, given that the massive Greek-owned merchant fleet plies the world’s oceans and the tens of thousands of Greek seamen serve aboard vessels, as well as the fact that Greek ports are among the first destinations of ships after they enter the Mediterranean from the Suez Canal.

According to reports, both men also discussed bilateral issues, ahead of the upcoming round of a Greece-US strategic dialogue.