At the center of the meeting held yesterday by Defense Minister Nikos Dendias with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Deputy Secretary of Defense for Defense Policy Elbridge Colby in Washington were Greek positions on a series of broader issues concerning the region where Greece is located (Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean) as well as the reform effort of the Greek Armed Forces with “Agenda 2030” so that Greece can successfully address the strategic challenges of our time.
“I referred,” added the Defense Minister, “to a series of contracts we have signed with the US, such as the contract for the purchase of F-35s and the way these contracts will be executed in the best possible manner for the Greek Armed Forces.”
Hegseth’s visit to Greece
During the meeting with Mr. Hegseth, the Greek minister extended an invitation to his American counterpart, which he accepted, to make an official visit to Greece. The excellent defense cooperation was also emphasized, both at bilateral level and within the NATO framework, and possibilities for further cooperation and synergies in the fields of defense innovation and defense industry were examined.
The meeting with Mr. Colby, which included extensive discussion on Greece-US defense cooperation, was also attended by Assistant Secretary Daniel Zimmerman and the National Security Secretary of the Greek government presidency Thanos Dokos. Earlier, Mr. Dendias participated in the “Delphi Economic Forum Washington D.C. VII”.
Dendias at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee offices
Among other activities yesterday, the Greek minister also went to the offices of the “American Israel Public Affairs Committee” (AIPAC) where he discussed with Executive Director Arne Christenson and members of AIPAC’s board of directors regarding security challenges in the broader Eastern Mediterranean region.
Mr. Dendias also had a meeting with Senator Jerry Moran at the Senate office building, with whom he discussed further strengthening of Greece-US relations, while he visited House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers at Congress, with whom he exchanged views on Greek-American defense relations and prospects for deepening them.
Subsequently, the Defense Minister, within the framework of the “Delphi Economic Forum Washington D.C. VII”, participated in a discussion with FDD (The Foundation for Defense of Democracies) Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer, on current international and regional developments in Defense and Security issues.
On February 2nd, the Greek minister participated in the “Delphi Economic Forum Washington D.C. VII” roundtable discussion titled: “Defense at a crossroads: NATO, The Eastern Mediterranean, and U.S. Strategic Commitment”.
During his intervention, Mr. Dendias highlighted Greece’s strategic role in the Eastern Mediterranean. On the sidelines of the “Delphi Forum Washington DC”, Mr. Dendias met the same day with Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos. He also had meetings with American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch and Jewish Institute for National Security of America CEO Michael Makovsky.
