The General Director of National Defence Policy and International Relations of the Ministry of National Defence, Dr. Konstantinos Balomenos, participated in the European Union’s (EU) Defence Policy Directors Meeting, held in Brussels on 18 October 2022. The main issues of the discussion were the current situation in Ukraine and the EU’s contribution to addressing it, the investment in the European defence sector, and the EU Common Security & Defence Policy (CSDP) operations and missions.
At the first working session, Dr. Balomenos stressed the need to strengthen the European Defence and ensure unity and coordination against Russian aggression, following the agreement of the Council on 17 October 2022 on the establishment of a military mission to assist the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the provision of further assistance through the European Peace Facility (EPF). He also highlighted the importance of ensuring the sustainability of the Facility, on the basis of a strategic and realistic approach, but made clear to his counterparts that the rules pertaining to the origin of the equipment supplied must take into account the national interests and concerns of all Member States.
In this context, the General Director of National Defence Policy and International Relations pointed out to his counterparts that Greece will, in no way, advocate supporting the Turkish Defence Industry and supplying Turkish military equipment through the EPF, given the collective nature of this mechanism operating with contributions from the national budgets of the Member States.
In the field of defence investment, at the second working session, Dr. Balomenos stressed the need to strengthen the European Defence Industry, through the use of EU instruments and tools, and to create incentives for Member States, such as the VAT exemption, that would significantly promote joint procurement. However, as regards the institutionalisation of the joint procurement procedure, he set as a precondition of the utmost importance that the security interests of all Member States be taken into account.
At the working lunch where the EU military missions were discussed, Dr. Balomenos expressed concern about the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel. Speaking on recent developments in Burkina Faso, he said that the possible presence of the Russian Wagner Mercenaries Group in the region provides a dangerous alibi to malicious third-party actors — who do not embrace democratic values — to consolidate their geopolitical influence in the Sahel, at the risk of further spreading the crisis to the south, in the Gulf of Guinea.
He also highlighted the value of the operation Atalanta in the field of maritime safety and freedom of navigation and supported the strengthening of synergies between the operation and other initiatives such as the “Coordinated Maritime Presences”. Finally, the General Director of National Defence Policy and International Relations, Dr. Balomenos, referring to the strategic importance of Western Balkans, stressed that it is a top priority for Greece to ensure peace and security in the region.
In the margins of the meeting, the General Director had a brief meeting with his Swedish counterpart, where NATO and EU issues were discussed, especially in view of the Swedish Presidency of the Council in 2023. Dr. Balomenos also briefed his Swedish counterpart on the latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.
