The General Director of National Defence Policy and International Relations (GDNDPIR) of the Ministry of National Defence (MoD) Dr. Konstantinos Balomenos, on 13 and 14 December 2023, participated in the winter meeting of the NATO Defence Policy Directors held in Brussels.
On the first day, an online exchange of views was held with members of the independent Group of Foreign Experts set up by NATO to prepare a report on the policy of the Southern Neighbourhood Alliance (Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel region). This was followed by an informal working dinner discussing the implications of the war in Ukraine, the lessons to be learned and the challenges posed to the Allied industrial base.
Dr. Balomenos first referred to Hamas’ recent terrorist attacks against Israel, which caused an explosion of violence in the region, underlining the importance of the cooperation with regional partners. He stressed that the alliance should place greater emphasis on the Southern Neighbourhood, taking into account the security challenges and the climate of pervasive insecurity in the wider region.
In addition, the General Director of GDNDPIR welcomed the planned actions of the newly established independent expert group on the South, highlighting the need to strengthen NATO’s political dialogue with the European Union, with a focus on maritime security and irregular migration.
During the informal working dinner, the General Director of GDNDPIR welcomed the strengthening of Ukraine’s partnership with the Alliance and supported efforts to increase the capabilities of defence industrial production, underlining the value of complementarity of relevant initiatives at NATO, European Union and national level. In addition, he highlighted Greece’s overall assistance to Ukraine, as well as the geostrategic value of the port of Alexandroupolis, as a transport hub for international assistance to the afflicted country, but also as a strategic gateway for the Alliance to the Western Balkans and the Black Sea. At the same time, he assured his counterparts that Greece will continue to support Ukraine at all levels.
On the second day, issues of a dissuasive and defensive arrangement of NATO were discussed ahead of the next summit of the leaders of the Alliance’s member states in Washington. Dr. Balomenos stressed that the new generation of defense plans now provides the necessary background to improve the Alliance’s capability and readiness to prevent and defend itself against any threat and in all directions (a 360-degree approach). He highlighted the potential impact of modern, emerging technologies on Alliances’ military operations and defence capabilities, with a focus on digital data, biotechnology, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence.
In addition, the General Director of the GDNDPIR referred to the importance of the effective command and control between allied operational structures, reiterating the proposal to integrate two multinational HQs from Greece, in order to strengthen the relevant capabilities. Finally, Dr. Balomenos stated that Greece would continue to invest more than 2 percent of its GDP in defense spending, to the benefit of national and allied deterrent and defence capabilities.
