The 2nd Quadripartite Meeting of Defence Policy Directors of Greece, Cyprus, Italy and France was held on 24-25 October 2022 in Athens, under the coordination of the General Directorate for National Defence Policy and International Relations of the Ministry of National Defence, within the framework of the Quadripartite Initiative — QUAD, and following the completion of the four-party exercise “EUNOMIA-3-2022”, held in the Eastern Mediterranean, from 3 to 6 October 2022.
The purpose of the Quadripartite Initiative activities is to maintain and improve the interoperability and cooperation of the Armed Forces of the four European countries, as well as to strengthen their joint maritime and air presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
This initiative also demonstrates the collective and full commitment of the four countries to the implementation of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Customary International Law and respect for the Rules of Law and freedom of navigation in the Eastern Mediterranean and, finally, the maintenance of regional stability and security in the wider region.
On the first day of the proceedings, bilateral meetings of working groups between Greece – Cyprus and Italy took place, where the Defence Policy Directors exchanged views on defence cooperation issues both bilaterally and at European level.
The first day of the Quadripartite Meeting ended with a working dinner hosted by the General Director of National Defence Policy and International Relations Konstantinos P. Balomenos for the representations of the participating countries, where defence policy and security issues were discussed.
On Tuesday 25 October 2022, at the Ministry of National Defence, took place the proceedings of the Quadripartite Cooperation in which participated, in addition to the General Director Dr. Konstantinos P. Balomenos, his Cypriot counterpart of Lieutenant Colonel Konstantinos Konstantinou, the French official Guillame Ollagnier, and the Italian Director of Defence Policy Rear Admiral Gianfranco Annunziata.
During the consultations, a common determination was identified to further strengthen defence and military cooperation with a view to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
A review was made of the latest developments in Ukraine and their consequences in the Eastern Mediterranean, and a discussion was held on the current challenges and threats to the latter’s turbulent security environment, including illegal migration, as well as on European issues, such as strengthening European strategic autonomy, EU defence initiatives, implementation of the Strategic Compass, etc.
Finally, views were expressed and proposals were made on the creation of a common framework of actions to ensure freedom of navigation, peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the prospect of further evolution of the EUNOMIA exercise into a strategic pillar of European Security.
