On Friday, 18 November 2022, the Minister of National Defence, Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, met with the Defence Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Gantz, who is on an official visit to Greece.
The talks between the two Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the strong, lasting bonds of friendship between Greece and Israel and their strategic defence relationship for the security and defence of the two countries, as well as the stability and prosperity of the broader region.
They also stressed the high level and dynamic of the defence cooperation between the Armed Forces of Greece and Israel, the implementation of important, mutually beneficial programmes in the Defence Industry area, and the common will for further enhancement.
The Minister congratulated his Israeli counterpart on the recent Israel – Lebanon Agreement, which creates a precedent and constitutes a model for all countries in the region.
It also clearly shows that the demarcation of sea zones is possible on the fundamental condition of respect of International Law.
After the meeting, the Minister of National Defence made the following statement:
“Dear Minister,
It is a great honour to welcome you today in Athens at the Ministry of National Defence.
Greece and Israel have forged a strategic partnership based on the strong bonds of friendship and our common vision for the creation of an environment of stability, security, and prosperity in the East Mediterranean.
Today we had the opportunity to reaffirm our common goal and wish to broaden and enhance the strategic defence partnership between Greece and Israel, which has reached new heights during the past few years.
The defence bonds between our two countries have been strengthened through many joint exercises and training activities of the Armed Forces of our countries and the exchange of knowledge and experience. We are determined to maintain this increasing dynamic and enhance our mutually beneficial cooperation in the Defence Industry area with new activities and important projects, such as the monumental International Flight Training Centre in Kalamata.
With Minister Gantz we discussed today the unjustified and brutal war of Russia against Ukraine, which is a blatant violation of International Law, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, an attempt to change the borders through the use of force.
Aggressive revisionism is the greatest challenge facing our region and constitutes a grave danger for the international rule of law.
We also discussed the security situation in the East Mediterranean, a region of great strategic importance for the prosperity of our countries, but also with great challenges and threats.
We expressed our strong will, commitment, and determination to deal with these challenges effectively.
Greece always supports initiatives for stability and security in the East Mediterranean. We have built strong alliances with Israel and other countries sharing the same vision in order to enter a new era of peace and stability in our region.
Our initiatives are always based on the respect of the rules of International Law, sovereignty and sovereign rights, as well as the principle of good neighbourly relations.
Precisely for this reason I would like to congratulate Mr. Gantz for the recent Israel – Lebanon Agreement which creates a precedent and constitutes a model for all countries in the region. It shows that the demarcation of sea zones is possible on the fundamental condition of respect of International Law and the rules of dialogue.
Dear Minister,
I am certain that our defence partnership will grow even stronger, given the fact that it is based on a multifaceted strategic partnership.
I would like to thank you for your valuable contribution and leading role in building a strong defence partnership between our countries.
Thank you and welcome!”
