On 15 September 2026, the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Thanasis Davakis, met with the Ambassador of Japan to Greece, Koichi Ito, at the Ministry of National Defence. The reason for the meeting was the conclusion of the Japanese Ambassador’s tenure to our country and his desire to personally bid farewell to Mr. Davakis.

The meeting took place in a particularly warm and friendly atmosphere, reflecting the close bonds developed during the tenure of the Japanese diplomat, as well as the close cooperation he had with the Greek Deputy Minister. Furthermore, in continuation of the recent contact of the Deputy Minister of National Defence with his Japanese counterpart, Masahisa Miyazaki, the prospects of defence cooperation with the common goal of enhancing security and defence diplomacy were discussed.

After the meeting, the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Thanasis Davakis, stated:

“Today’s meeting marks the conclusion of Mr. Ito’s exceptionally productive tenure to our country.

On a personal level, our cooperation developed into true friendship and I had the honour of meeting a true philhellene, who acted as a strong link between our nations.

Our discussion was a continuation of my recent meeting with my Japanese counterpart, Masahisa Miyazaki, in the framework of which we laid the foundations for closer bilateral contact.

I thanked His Excellency cordially for his valuable contribution and wished him every success in his new duties, good health, and happiness”.