The Minister of Defense, Nikos Dendias, as part of his visit to Chicago, participated in a comprehensive discussion with the Executive Director of HALC, Mr. Eddy Zemenidis which took place at the “Chicago Council on Global Affairs”.

The discussion focused on the way in which Greece through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense interacts on the international stage, while emphasis was placed on the role of NATO, the alliance with the USA and the relations with the European Union.

The effort to modernize the Greek defense in order to adapt to modern security challenges was also emphasized. “We must reform our armed forces.

We entered the F-35 program and we are proud. Because we need the F-35s. It’s the next generation. It’s not just a newer fighter.

It’s a platform. It’s a completely different culture. Here comes the French frigates. It is the most capable, with strategic weapons,” said Mr. Dendias.

Mr. Dendias underlined Greece’s role in ensuring regional and international stability, focusing on initiatives such as the East Med Gas Forum, the Three Seas Initiative and strengthening relations with countries in the region, such as Israel and Egypt.

The Minister of Defense also referred to the challenges that the country has faced from Turkey, referring to the only difference that Athens recognizes with Turkey, which is the delimitation of the EEZ and continental shelf, as well as the doctrine of the Blue Homeland.

Here are the main points of the discussion:

NATO and EU

The role of NATO as a collective defense organization and the strategic contribution of Greece were underlined.

“I’m a real supporter of the European dream and the European Union. Having said that, the European Union has some schizophrenic rules.

On the one hand, the European Union says it is facing an existential threat and we need to really create an autonomous defence, which could have its own power to protect itself and protect its friends and allies. At the same time, the EU says that, the European Commission clearly states that there are fiscal rules that do not allow countries to spend on defense.

For me, being the Minister of Defense is a nightmare. I struggle with the numbers every day. And if I cross the line, my country is put under surveillance. This cannot be the European answer to today’s challenges,” said Mr. Dendias.

Greece – USA relations

Reference was made to the Greek-US alliance and military cooperation, culminating in the signing of the Revised Greek-American Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, but also that the advantages of the base in Alexandroupoli show Greece’s strategic role in strengthening relations with the US and in dealing with regional challenges.

“I had the opportunity to sign the first amendment to the defense agreement with the United States. We worked on it with Mike Pompeo in 2019 and also interacted on many issues during that time. I think it was a fruitful relationship, both for Greece, but and for the United States, for NATO, for our allies, for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, so I expect the same from the current Trump administration, one honest interaction that will lead to stability in our region. Alexandroupolis is important for everyone. It is important for the USA, it is important for the Western world, it is important for Greece.

We offer the United States, NATO, the Western world a way to communicate with Ukraine and Central Europe that did not exist before. Because before, the only available way was through the straits and the Black Sea, which obviously, was not so easy considering the current situation in the Black Sea.

And Alexandroupoli has unique advantages. It has a huge airport, rail line, pipeline to the north, so it helps the energy flow as well. The FSRU is a unit by which American liquefied gas can come to Europe and solve the energy problem of Central and Eastern Europe.

So, honestly, Alexandroupoli has everything and is NATO territory.

The relationship between the United States and Greece, both bilaterally, but also trilaterally with Cyprus or with Israel, but also within NATO is stronger and makes the United States more prosperous because Greece is a hub through of which the United States can expand its exports. The United States, through the relationship with Greece, supports a stable, Western, democratic country that defends human rights, that is an ally of Israel,” said Mr. Dendias.

Defense and Security

Mr. Dendias emphasized that Greece acts on the basis of international law and respect for borders as a basis for cooperation:

“Right now as we speak, the European Union has two naval enterprises. Both have Greek names.

The first is IRINI, which means peace and is located in the north of Libya, trying to stop the smuggling of weapons into Libya, which will fuel the civil war in the country.

The second is ASPIDES, which means shielding the Red Sea, in order to protect the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. They have Greek names because it is Greece, little Greece, that started both businesses. And little Greece contributes with means, ships to both.

And not all our European countries do this.

2010-2019 was a nightmare. Greece lost almost 30% of its GDP because of this crisis. And it lost 30% of its GDP partly because of our own fault, but partly because the medicine they gave us was worse than the disease.

So losing 30% of your GDP is equivalent to losing a war. And it usually leads to an internal revolution.

So, after this crisis, we need to reform our Armed Forces. We entered the F-35 program and we are proud.

Because we need the F-35s. It’s the next generation. It’s not just a newer fighter.

It’s a platform. It’s a completely different culture. The French frigates are coming. They are the most capable ships, with strategic weapons,” said Mr. Dendias.

Creating a dome

The Minister of Defense also referred to the creation of a dome that will cover the entire Greek territory and protect it from hybrid threats.

“We’re trying to create a dome. When we talk about the dome, everyone thinks of Israel and the Iron Dome. But it’s not exactly the same, because this system that Israel has is mainly for defense against incoming rockets and missiles. For us, it’s a much more complex environment. We have to be able to deal with drones. We’re trying to create a very complex canopy, which will protect the aerial our space from anything coming in, including drones, very small drones, which is a challenge.

But we would also like to be able to protect our seas from any incoming threat.

Energy

The Minister of Defense also referred to the importance of Greece as a critical energy hub through Alexandroupoli, American liquefied natural gas can reach Europe and solve the energy issue of Central and Eastern Europe”

It was mentioned in the discussion that the East-Med Gas Forum and the Abraham Accords provide the basis for energy and defense cooperation, but also that Greece supports the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, recognizing India’s role as a rising power.

Greek-Turkish Relations

Mr. Dendias referred to the challenges from Turkey which include the dispute over maritime zones and the doctrine of the “Blue Homeland” (Mavi Vatan).

“Mavi Vatan is a neo-imperialist approach, a neo-Ottoman dream of a part, fortunately not the whole of the Turkish political establishment, which clearly threatens Greece and violates international borders, which is clearly against international law and in the international law of the sea. And let me be honest, it’s absolute nonsense, because it’s never going to happen. When. But what is happening is trapping Turkish society in a conflicting argument against Greece, a country that is nearby, is much smaller, and is a country that would be extremely useful for Turkey as a gateway to the European Union and to the West. . And it is a claimant country, it has no claim against Turkey. So it would, in my humble opinion, be extremely easy for Turkey to agree with Greece on almost everything. With what arrangement? International law, international law of the sea, the United Nations Charter. Is it too difficult? That is why we are fighting in Ukraine and in other crises,” said Mr. Dendias.

Syria

The Minister of Defense in response to a question from Mr. Zemenidis referred to the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the possible attempt by Turkey to delimit the EEZ with Syria.

“We were all happy to see the Assad regime go. What we are looking for now is the establishment of an inclusive government in Syria and we hope for a democratic future for the Syrian people, a future that will allow Syria to become prosperous. There is a huge, huge cultural tradition, a future that will allow refugees to return to

their homeland and also to become a government that will respect international law and the international law of the sea. Now, if such a government would choose to be friendly to Turkey, we don’t mind. We don’t have a problem. We are not trying to exclude Turkey. Probably the opposite. Could this relationship with Turkey in the future? Again, we don’t mind. I myself have signed two demarcation agreements, one with Italy and one with Egypt. And I would be happy for Turkey to sign demarcation agreements with all the countries of the world, including Greece. But what is the caveat? To be within the framework of UNCLOS. Because Turkey has proven in the past that it can do things that are absurd. For example, it has signed an agreement with Libya, for the delimitation of the eastern Mediterranean, which “steps” right on top of Greece. It assumes that Greece does not exist. Let me give an example. It’s like Greece and Spain demarcating sea zones and pretending Sicily doesn’t exist. So if he does something like that, of course it’s a problem. And let’s not forget that right next to Syria there is another country. And this country, with an internationally recognized government, which is the Republic of Cyprus.

I guess Cyprus also has something to say. So these are the parameters,” he said.

Humanitarian Initiatives

The Minister of Defense stated that Greece actively supports humanitarian aid, mainly in the Gaza Strip and cooperates with Cyprus, which facilitated the delivery of food and goods through the Amalthia initiative.

“Cyprus played a key role in the Maritime Humanitarian Corridor. I ordered our navy to have four ships ready to take aid to Gaza. From Cyprus, even from Greece. But we needed Cyprus as a stepping stone. But we had the ships that would Unfortunately the US effort with the artificial harbor did not continue due to severe weather.We offer to contribute to it of humanitarian aid in both Gaza and Lebanon. This is our region, Israel, this is our family. This is how we want to create a sustainable future, but we are there,” said the Minister of Defense.