The Minister of National Defence Mr Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos participated in the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence, which took place in Brussels on 16 and 17 February 2022.
The Minister stressed that this year marks the 70th anniversary of our Country’s integration to NATO and that Greece has actively participated in the collective efforts of the Alliance for the promotion of peace, stability and democracy.
During talks held about Ukraine, Mr Panagiotopoulos underlined that the diplomatic route constitutes the only feasible solution for the restitution of stability and security in Ukraine, but de-escalation is still a prerequisite for the conduct of sincere and productive dialogue. He also stressed that the main consideration of the Hellenic Government is the safety of the numerous inhabitants of the Greek community, which numbers more than 100.000 expatriates, especially of those who live in the area of Odessa and Mariupol.
With regards to the new Strategic Doctrine, the Minister of National Defence mentioned that it must not be restricted to current threats, but also be adjusted to geopolitical conditions, so as to provide the Alliance with the capability to face the new security challenges, in a balanced and viable manner.
Under that prism, he stressed that emphasis must be given to Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDT) and that corresponding initiatives, such as the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and the NATO Innovation Fund, must be supported. Furthermore, Mr Panagiotopoulos underlined that the Country is ready to host the Regional DIANA Office in Europe, since it has significant Research Centres, which participate in research programmes, funded by the European Union and the European Defence Fund.
Lastly, he pointed out the significance of further enhancing the NATO – European Union relation and the need to upgrade it at the strategic level, based on the principles of inclusion, transparency, mutuality and respect of the two Organisations’ autonomy.
In the context of the Meeting’s proceedings, the Minister conducted bilateral meetings with the Minister of Defence of Bulgaria Mr Stefan Yanev, as well as the Minister of Defence of North Macedonia Ms Slavjanka Petrovska, during which, issues of mutual interest were discussed.
Furthermore, he also participated in the signing ceremony of Romania’s Note of Joining in the Air Battle Decisive Munitions (ABDM) programme, in which our Country is the Lead Nation for the current semester.
