The beginning of the works of the 15th Meeting of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), which is a High Level Course (HLC), was announced by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Alkiviadis Stefanis, today Monday 2 November 2020, in the Auditorium of the Air Force Academy in Tatoi.
The Chief HNDGS General Konstantinos Floros, the Chief HAFGS Lieutenant General Georgios Blioumis, the Chief HAGS Lieutenant General Charalambos Laloussis, the Chief HNDS Vice Admiral Stylianos Petrakis HN, as well as the General Director for Defence Policy and International Relations Mr. Konstantinos Balomenos also attended the meeting.
The organization was assigned by the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) to Greece for the first time, and the General Directorate of National Defence Policy and International Relations (GDNDPIR) of the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence, in collaboration with the Hellenic Military Academy, undertook the responsibility to complete this high leveled educational activity. On account of the health restrictions caused by the “COVID 19” pandemic, the Ministry of National Defence assumed the task of carrying out the school through livestreaming.
At the beginning of the works of the 15th Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) High Level Course (HLC) 2019 – 2020 Module 3, Mr. Stefanis underlined the following:
“On behalf of the Greek Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos and myself, it is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the 15th High Level Course for Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
It is an honour to host the 3rd module of this course, and to contribute to its essential role: to further enhance the Common European security and defence culture within the Union, and to promote the principles laid down in the Treaties. Also, to promote a better understanding of CSDP as an essential part of Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and to provide Union instances with knowledgable personnel, able to work efficiently on all CSDP and CFSP matters.
Two decades ago, if somebody would tell us that there would come a day when we would discuss about CSDP in Europe, we would consider him a wishful thinker. Twenty years later, the reality confirms the potential of our investments: the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the European Defence Fund (EDF), the European Peace Facility (EPF) and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) are some of the tools through which we strive to build our Defence.
Jean Monnet had taught us that “Europe will be forged in crises, and it will be the sum of the solutions adopted for those crises”. And this is absolutely confirmed by the present juncture, as new emerging geopolitical and security challenges go beyond what we understand as traditional defence.
The European Union’s common vision and goals should determine to what extent it will contribute, or even take the lead, in conflict resolution and crisis management through diplomatic, civilian and military means.
Today, even under the current dire circumstances, we are here, called upon to rise to the occasion and dive into work, serving a high purpose: building Defence.
I wish you all a fruitful and safe course”.
In the first day’s works, speeches were also delivered by the Chief HNDGS General Konstantinos Floros, the General Director for Defence Policy and International Relations Mr. Konstantinos Balomenos, the 15th HLC CSDP Director Mr. Ricardo Scalas, the Head of ESDC education Mr. Leo Lindqvist, the Head of Immigration and Border Protection Branch Police Major General Dimitios Mallios and the Professor Dr. Ioannis Papafloratos. Journalist Ms. Katerina Tsamouri was the coordinator.
The works of the 15th Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) High Level Course (HLC) 2019 – 2020 Module 3 will carry on until Friday 6 November 2020.
