The Minister of National Defence Mr Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos participated, yesterday Tuesday 04 October, in the Meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the Adriatic – Ionian Initiative (ADRION) which took place in Venice. In the Meeting the Ministers of Defence of Italy Mr Lorenzo Guerini, of Slovenia Mr Marjan Šarec, of Croatia Mr Mario Banožić, of Montenegro Mr Raško Konjević and of Albania Mr Niko Peleshi also participated.

During his statement, the Minister of National Defence stressed that the ADRION initiative constitutes a model of successful regional cooperation in fields of high priority and significance, like maritime security and interoperability of the Navies of the Initiative’s member-states.

Mr Panagiotopoulos underlined that through the activities of the ADRION Initiative, the assets and mechanisms of the ADRION countries are enhanced against common threats and the joint maritime surveillance, a fact which contributes to the security in the Mediterranean, a region of particular significance for the wider European security, financial development, free commerce and energy security.

He also stressed that the Euro-Atlantic perspective of the countries of the Western Balkans constitutes the basic vehicle for peace, stability and security in the region, promotes good neighbourly relations and the fundamental values and principles of International Law, while it promotes the overall development and prosperity.

Finally, he emphasised that the ADRION Initiative is founded on the complete respect of sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and sovereign rights of all states, as per the International Law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

On the occasion of the Meeting, Mr Panagiotopoulos met with his Italian counterpart Mr Guerini and discussed the further enhancement of the bilateral defence cooperation, the developments in Ukraine and the security conditions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In this context, the Minister of National Defence punctuated the need to refrain from revisionist behaviours which have a destabilising effect on the wider region and endanger security and peace.

The ADRION Ministerial Meeting adopted the following Joint Statement:

JOINT STATEMENT

BY THE MINISTERS OF DEFENCE OF:

THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA

THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC

THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC,

MONTENEGRO,

THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA

CONCERNING

THE ADRIATIC IONIAN INITIATIVE (ADRION)

We, the Ministers of Defence of the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Croatia, the Hellenic Republic, the Italian Republic, Montenegro and the Republic of Slovenia, met in Venice, on the 04^th of October 2022.

ACKNOWLEDGING the long term experience of cooperation among the Adriatic – Ionian Initiative member-states,

We reaffirmed that our cooperation is based on full mutual respect and in accordance with the International Law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

We recalled the importance of the ongoing cooperation within ADRION, as a successful example of regional cooperation, established in 2004, based on: inclusiveness, common values and shared interest towards enhancing security and stability over the Adriatic – Ionian basin.

We recognised and praised the results achieved by the ADRION initiative during almost twenty years of continued efforts and commitment towards enhancing safety, maritime security and situational awareness across the Adriatic-Ionian basin.

We appreciated the valuable contribution brought by the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) as tool for fostering regional cooperation in key policy areas for the benefit of the whole region.

We acknowledged the compelling need to face an increasing range of maritime security challenges and risks and to counter common threats affecting our regional security and stability, notably terrorism, illegal migrations, smuggling and transnational criminality.

Thus, we stressed the importance of sustaining and improving interoperability and cooperation among our Navies, in order to achieve an improved level of maritime security and to enhance shared ability to deliver Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief, Search and Rescue and Capacity Building.

ADRION – also through its operational segment, the “On Call Maritime Force”

(OCMF) – has proved to be a credible tool in:

• promoting training, integration, capability development, mutual knowledge and expertise exchange and trust building;

• achieving a credible naval presence in the Adriatic – Ionian region, when activated;

• attaining Maritime Security and expertise over the regional maritime environment.

Lead by our determination to further strengthen our cooperation, we encourage the ADRION Chiefs of Navies to:

• conclude the process for the approval of the revised Technical Arrangement by members nations;

• improve effectiveness and visibility of the initiative;

• promote and share best practices, tools achieved and lessons learned within ADRION towards the EU and NATO fora;

• foster the sharing of capabilities, exploring the operationalisation of the “pool and share” concept to national assets, in order to identify and develop common requirements and reduce overall costs;

• enhance, through a wide step approach, common Maritime Situational Awareness, utilising to the fullest extent already existing tools such as the Virtual-Regional Maritime Traffic Centre;

• promote Maritime Security in the Adriatic – Ionian region through the OCMF activation according to the planned schedule;

• pursue opportunities for closer cooperation and better coordination with NATO and EU operations within the ADRION Area of Responsibility;

• explore any additional field of activity, of common interest, which may benefit from being dealt within ADRION (inter alia counter pollution).

Approved during the ADRION Ministerial meeting in Venice on the 4^th of October 2022.