The Minister of National Defense Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos met today, Thursday 04 May 2023, with the Minister of Defense of Israel Mr. Yoav Gallantwho made an official visit to Greece.

Also present at the reception and the talks between the delegations were the Deputy Minister of National Defense, Mr. Nikolaos Hardalias, the Chief of the General Defense Forces General Konstantinos Floros, the Chief of the General Staff of the Greek Armed Forces, Vice Admiral (I) Themistocles Bourolias, the Chief of General Staff, Vice-Admiral Ioannis Drymousis PN, the Deputy Chief of General Staff, Vice-General Andreas Koronakis and the Ambassador of Israel to Greece Mr. Noam Katz.

During the talks, the two Ministers reaffirmed the strong and timeless bonds of friendship and the strategic defense relationship of the two countries for their security and defense, but also for the stability and prosperity of the wider region.

The extremely high level and dynamics of military cooperation between the Armed Forces of Greece and Israel, which are demonstrated by the implementation of important, mutually beneficial, programs in the field of Defense Industry and joint exercises, as well as the common desire for further strengthening them.

The Minister of Defense of Israel praised the role played by his Greek counterpart during his term in order to practically and indisputably strengthen the defense ties between Greece and Israel, while he noted that the recent discussions between the two delegations reflect the depth and the prospects of the ties between the two countries. Mr. Gallant referred to the Athens-Tel Aviv cooperation in defense, information, industrial projects and other fields, which contributes to the security and economy of both sides, while he described the operation of the International Center as an excellent example of bilateral cooperation Training at Kalamata Air Base. He also mentioned the recent intelligence cooperation that led to the capture of two terrorists who were planning to attack Israeli targets in our country.

The Israeli Minister of Defense emphasized that the Greece-Israel bond is a pillar of stability in the region and personally pledged to further expand this cooperation in order to jointly face challenges and build a brighter future for the peoples of the two countries.

After the meeting, the Minister of National Defense made the following statement:

“Dear Minister,

It is a great honor and pleasure to welcome you today in Athens, at the Ministry of National Defense.

Greece and Israel have forged an enduring strategic relationship, which is based on strong bonds of friendship and our shared vision of creating an environment of stability, security and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Today we had the opportunity to reaffirm our common goal and desire to expand and deepen the strategic defense partnership between Greece and Israel, which has risen to an extremely high level in recent years.

The defense ties between our countries have been strengthened through the many joint exercises and trainings of our countries’ Armed Forces and the exchange of knowledge and experience. We are determined to maintain this ever-growing dynamic, but also to enrich our mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of Defense Industry with new activities and important projects, such as the flagship project of the International Flight Training Center in Kalamata.

With Minister Mr. Galand, we discussed, today, Russia’s unjustified and brutal war against Ukraine, which is a flagrant violation of International Law, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, an attempt to change the borders with the use of force.

Aggressive revisionism is the biggest challenge we face in our region and poses a serious threat to the international legal order.

We also discussed the security situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, an area of ​​great strategic importance, for the well-being of our countries, but also with many challenges and threats.

We have expressed our strong will, commitment and determination to effectively address these challenges.

Greece always supports initiatives for stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean. We have built strong alliances with Israel and other like-minded countries to usher in a new era of peace and stability in our region.

Our initiatives are always based on respect for the rules of International Law, sovereignty and sovereign rights and the principle of good neighborliness.

Dear Minister,

I am confident that our defense partnership will become even stronger as it is based on a multifaceted strategic partnership.

I would like to thank you for your valuable contribution and leadership in building a strong defense partnership between our countries.

Thank you and welcome!’