The US and Greece have formed a new agreement that will foster scientific collaboration and research between the two countries, aiming to advance research on several emerging topics. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released a statement confirming that the US-Greece Science and Technology Agreement was officially signed on Monday in Thessaloniki, Greece, by the US Secretary of state and the Greek Minister of Development and Investments.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is also planning to visit Vatican City and other Mediterranean countries while abroad. The full agreement has not yet been released, however, the deal replaces a generalized agreement from almost four decades ago and will provide additional provisions to protect intellectual property during the collaboration.

Read More: U.S., Greece Formally Agree to Collaborate on Science and Technology