Greece ‘a strong and reliable NATO ally’, PM Mitsotakis says

Greece remains a “strong and reliable ally” that actively upholds its commitments by investing in defence and supporting NATO’s interests in the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a welcome address video at the start of the NATO Military Committee Conference taking place in Athens on Saturday and Sunday.

“Throughout our history, we honoured our alliances. Since 1952, NATO has been at the heart of Greece’s security and defence architecture,” the prime minister said.

He noted that NATO’s strength derived from its values and principles – namely, those of unity, solidarity and respect for democracy and the law. “Today, the international security environment is changing rapidly and often in an unexpected way. This is a challenge for the strategic stability of past decades,” Mitsotakis added.

The current year marked the start of a new cycle for NATO, with the 2020-2030 agenda setting the tone, the prime minister said, with complex challenges that no country can face alone and make cooperation essential.

He thanked the chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff for his efforts in the organisation of the conference and noted that it was held on the bicentennial year since the Greek Revolution that led to the founding of the modern Greek state.
Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, welcomed the delegates and praised the organisers of the conference, while noting that Greece was “a resilient state and a strong NATO ally.”

Hellenic National Defence General Staff chief General Konstantinos Floros referred to the revision of the Alliance’s military framework, saying this should combine resilience, maintaining NATO’s technological edge, cooperation and an ambitious approach to climate change.

“Greece is a pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterraneanw ith respect for international law, good neighbour relations and cooperation,” he added, noting that Greece as an ally will respect all its obligations and commitments.
National Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said the international community must work together to prevent terrorism rekindling in Afghanistan, to support countries bordering on Afghanistan in order to contain a migration wave, while he highlighted the threat of climate change to all societies.