In the Foreign Affairs Councilhe participated in a composition of Defense Ministers held in Brussels Nikos Dendias.

The Minister of National Defense on the sidelines of the Council, had talks with the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy and Security Policy Josep Borrell and the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg.

At the same time, he participated in the Working Summit for the support of the E.U. to Ukraine held with the participation of European ministers, in the presence of Jens Stoltenberg and the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rastem Umerov.

Nikos Dendias took part in the working lunch, during which the Ministers of Defense of the Member States exchanged views on the Defense Readiness of the EU. to address common security challenges and destabilizing threats.

Coming to the Council, the Minister of National Defense emphasized the need for common defense. “First the common market, then the common currency, now the common defence. However, in order to take this very big step, two parameters must be served. In principle, a single European defense arm. In this context, I want to underline the excellent initiative of the Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis and the Polish Prime Minister Tusk for the creation of a European anti-aircraft dome. Greece has something to offer in this and we are already proceeding with the creation of our own anti-drone and anti-aircraft dome,” he stressed. The second, as he added, “is a European development framework for our production, defense products and defense technology. In this context, Greece can offer since just last week the Hellenic Parliament voted with an overwhelming majority to create the single, new ELKAK, the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation».

Mr. Dendias met with his Dutch counterpart Kaisa Holgren with whom they discussed the further strengthening of bilateral defense relations. He also had talks with the Ministers of Defense of Bulgaria Atanas Zaprianov, Armenia Suren Papikyan, the Deputy Minister of Defense of Kuwait Dr. Abdullah Meshal Mubarak A. Al Sabah and with the Commander of Operation ASPIDES of the EU. rear admiral Vasilios Gryparis PN. Afterwards, the Minister of National Defense had a meeting with his Mozambican counterpart, Christovau Arthur Tsoume, with whom the possibilities of further development of defense relations between Greece and Mozambique were examined. As Nikos Dendias pointed out, according to the press release of the Ministry of National Defense, Greece has an active and substantial presence in Mozambique, which he found out during his visit to the country last year. He also recalled that officers of the Greek armed forces are serving in the EU EUTM Mission training members of the Mozambican armed forces.

The Minister of National Defense also met with his Cape Verdean counterpart Jeanine Tatiana Santos Lelis. The two ministers agreed on the strengthening of bilateral defense cooperation, with an emphasis on the field of military training, especially the navy, as Mr. Dendias had discussed with the country’s foreign minister, Dr. Roy Figueiredo Soares during his visit on April 18 in Athens.

Finally, Mr. Dendias met in Brussels with his Rwandan counterpart Juvenal Marizamunda. The two men agreed to strengthen friendly bilateral relations in the fields of defense and security, while they had the opportunity to exchange views on international and regional developments.