On Tuesday, 14 November 2023, the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Mr. Ioannis Kefalogiannis, attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council for Defence Ministers in Brussels.
During the informal breakfast, there was an exchange of views with the NATO SG, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, on the resilience of critical infrastructure in the wake of recent incidents with the Balticonnector and Nord Stream, as well as on EU-NATO cooperation in this area.
During the Meeting of the EDA Steering Board under High Representative Mr. Josep Borrell, member states supported the update of the 2023 Capability Development Priorities in order to reflect the changes in the strategic environment of the EU, the guidance provided by the Strategic Compass, and the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.
During the Council Meeting, member states discussed further EU military support to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility (EPF) and the Rapid Deployment Capacity, the situation in the Middle East after the attack of Hamas against Israel, as well as the Common Security and Defence Policy operations and missions in Africa and the Balkans.
On the sidelines of the Meeting, Mr. Kefalogiannis had side meetings with the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Michalis Giorgallas, the Minister of Defence of Sweden, Mr. Pål Jonson, and the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Robert Brieger.
