Yesterday, 10 March 2021, the Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos participated in a teleconference of the Coalition for the Sahel organized by initiative of the French Minister of National Defence Mrs. Florence Parly.

During the teleconference, which was also attended by the High Representative of the EU Mr. Josep Borrell, Ministers of Defence of EU Member-States, the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Jean Pierre Lacroix, Defence Ministers of Sahel countries and representatives from the US and Canadian Departments of Defence, they discussed matters pertaining to the security and operations situation, the reinforcement of the battle against terrorism and the international support to the countries of the region.

In his address the Minister of National Defence highlighted the importance of the actions taken by the EU, its Member-States and the international community to promote stability, security and growth in the countries located at the so-called “Sahel” region. He also pointed out the serious consequences caused by the destabilization of the region to the wider geopolitical environment, to illegal migration and maritime security.

Mr. Panagiotopoulos stressed that the recent appointment of a Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sahel matters and the reoperation of the Greek Embassy in Senegal, highlights the importance attached by Greece to this region, to the development of relations with West-African countries, as well as its international presence in the context of defence diplomacy and peace operations.

It is noted that the nine countries located (entirely or partly) in the Sahel region, are amongst the poorest in the world. These are Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal with a total population of more than 100 million.