Defence Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos participates in “GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum 2022” in Slovakia

Defence Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos participates in "GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum 2022" in Slovakia

June 3, 2022

The Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulosparticipated, on Friday, 3 June 2022, in the "17^thGLOBSEC Bratislava Forum 2022" which was held in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The conference was also attended by the Minister of Defence of Sweden Peter Hultvist, the Director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council Ms. Anna Wieslanderand the Vice President, Chief Corporate Development of KNDS Mr. Marsel Grisnigt.

In his intervention, Mr. Panagiotopoulos stated that Greece strongly supports Sweden and Finland's application to join NATO. The two countries have a strong military footprint and they respect the International Law. Their accession will reinforce the Alliance and will make them safer.

He underscored that all NATO countries, acting in compliance with the International Law and the fundamental principles of the Alliance, should agree with the accession of the two countries to the Alliance. The Minister also stressed that, although Turkey is a NATO ally, it threatens Greece with war, in case the latter exercises its legitimate right to expand its territorial waters beyond the distance of 6 nautical miles, it demands a demilitarization of the islands of the Eastern Aegean Sea, whereas Turkish fighter aircraft violate Greece's airspace and conduct overflights above inhabited areas. Greece will continue to defend its sovereignty and its sovereign rights.

In addition, he referred to the perspective of a common European Defence Industry which will be a step towards a European strategic autonomy.

Finally, Mr. Panagiotopoulos stated that Ukraine fights to defend both the country, as well as the fundamental values of Europe and of Western Democracy.