On Tuesday, 04 October 2022, the Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos received at the Ministry of National Defence a 7-member Delegation of the US House Armed Services Committee (HASC), led by its Chairman Mr. Adam Smith, on a visit to Greece from 02 to 05 October. The delegation was accompanied by the US Ambassador to Athens, Mr. George Tsounis.
The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Chardalias and the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros.
The meeting underlined the importance of the Greece – US strategic defence partnership and the Mutual Defence Cooperation Agreement, as well as its two Amendment Protocols (2019 and 2021), for the enhancement of the security of both countries, as well as the security and stability in the broader region.
Furthermore, it reaffirmed the role of Greece as a strong, stable, and reliable ally and the geopolitical value of Souda and Alexandroupolis and stressed the importance of investments to upgrade their facilities and infrastructure.
The Minister of National Defence also mentioned the potential for mutually beneficial cooperation of the Hellenic defence industry with US defence companies, considering the capabilities, comparative advantage, and know-how of our country.
Regarding the situation in the East Mediterranean, Mr. Panagiotopoulos stressed the importance of avoiding destabilising, aggressive, and revisionist behaviours which violate fundamental principles of International Law and the principle of good neighbourly relations. The two parties also discussed the developments of the war in Ukraine and the need to continue providing defence and humanitarian assistance in order to deal with the Russian invasion.
