Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos paid a three-day visit to the United States from April 1 to 3, upon the invitation of US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta. Avramopoulos met his US counterpart in Washington DC for talks on issues on defence cooperation between the two countries and the situation in the Mediterranean and Middle East.  In statements after the meeting, Avramopoulos said that Panetta thankfully aknowledged Greece’s contribution to the operations in Libya.

He also noted that "the Greek national defence system, which despite the financial crisis still remains one of the most powerful and reliable in the broader region, will always be at the service of peace, cooperation, security and stability in our area." The two ministers also reaffirmed their mutual intention to promote defence cooperation programmes.

Earlier in New York, Avramopoulos had met with members of the Hellenic and Cypriot Diaspora and attended a memorial service in honour of the Cyprus Liberation Struggle held at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. He also attended a dinner hosted in his honour by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) executive director David Harris, at the headquarters of the AJC in New York.