N. Panagiotopoulos at the NATO YPAM summit: De-escalation in Ukraine through dialogue is a prerequisite

De-escalation remains a prerequisite for an honest and productive dialogue as the diplomatic route is the only possible solution to restore stability and security in Ukraine, said Defense Minister Nikos Panayotopoulos in his speech during the debate on Ukraine. in the context of the two-day meeting of NATO Defense Ministers held in Brussels. At the same time, he reiterated that the primary concern of the Greek government is the security of the large Greek community, which numbers more than 100,000 expatriates, especially those living in the areas of Odessa and Mariupol.

Regarding the new NATO Strategic Doctrine, he noted that it should not be limited to the current threats but adapt to the geopolitical conditions, in order to enable the Alliance to face the new security challenges in a balanced and sustainable way.

In this light, he added, emphasis should be placed on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDT) and support for initiatives such as the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic 0DIANA and the NATO Innovation Fund. Innovation Fund).

The Minister of National Defense expressed the readiness of Greece to host the DIANA regional office in Europe, as it has important Research Centers that participate in research projects, funded by the European Union and the European Defense Fund.

He also stressed the importance of further strengthening the NATO-European Union relationship, reiterating the need to upgrade it to a strategic level, based on the principles of inclusion, transparency, reciprocity and respect for the autonomy of the two organizations.

Finally, he stressed that this year marks the 70th anniversary of our country’s accession to NATO, recalling that Greece actively participated in the collective efforts of the Alliance to promote peace, stability and democracy.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister of National Defense attended the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (Note of Joining) of Romania in the Air Battle Decisive Munitions Program (ABDM), in which our country is the leader (Lead Nation) for the current semester while he had bilateral meetings with his Bulgarian counterpart Stefan Jarev as well as those of Northern Macedonia Slavyanka Petrovska, during which issues of mutual interest were discussed.

Source: Capital

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