The Minister of National Defence Mr Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos concluded, on Tuesday 7 February 2023, his official visit to the United Kingdom, where he met with his British counterpart Mr Ret Hon Ben Wallace.
After the official reception at the “Horse Guards Parade” the Minister of National Defence and his British counterpart went to Portsmouth, where the two Ministers conducted talks on the Air-defence Destroyer “HMS DIAMOND” and a Joint Vision Statement was signed between Greece and the United Kingdom.
During the talks, it was underlined that the strong bonds between the two countries are founded on the common principles and values of liberty, democracy and the Rule of Law.
It was also stressed that it is essential to support Ukraine in the countering of the Russian invasion and the safeguarding of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as their consequences in peace, security and stability in the region were discussed.
The Joint Vision Statement attests to the commitment of Greece and the United Kingdom for mutual support and assistance in order to counter the common challenges and achieve the common goals in the field of security, as well as for the expansion of the defence cooperation, with particular emphasis on operational training, exercises and the perspective of enhancing the cooperation in the fields of defence industry and technology.
The two countries ascertained, as Strategic partners and NATO Allies, their devotion to the respect of the sovereignty, the sovereign rights and the territorial integrity of the states.
Greece and the United Kingdom underlined their commitment to the countering of threats for peace and security in the Mediterranean and the respect of International Law and especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The United Kingdom acknowledged the support that Greece provides to the British forces through the facilities in Souda Bay and Chania, while the strategic significance of the Alexandroupoli Port for Europe and NATO was noted.
Greece and the United Kingdom agreed to draft every year a Roadmap which will include the priorities of the defence cooperation. Also, an annual Discourse is established for Security and Defence, so as to review the progress and explore new initiatives for the further development of the bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and security.
