The General Director of National Defence Policy and International Relations, Dr Konstantinos P. Balomenos had, on Wednesday 23 June 2021, a courtesy meeting at the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence, with the Head of Europe and Canada UK Ministry of Defence’s Directorate of Euro-Atlantic Security, Sebastian Carr, in the context of the deepening of bilateral defence relations.

The meeting discussed issues of mutual interest, such as further enlargement of bilateral defence cooperation, NATO issues, as well as security challenges and threats in the wider Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) environment.

In particular, the General Director of National Defence Policy and International Relations Konstantinos Balomenos focused on Turkey’s destabilising role in the Aegean and Mediterranean region and called for more active action by the British side to address issues such as migration, terrorism, energy competition, tackling regional conflicts and strengthening the crisis management mechanism within NATO. Special reference was made to the “Global Britain in a Competitive Age — The integrated review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy” recently issued by the UK Department of Defence.

The debate confirmed the links of friendship between the two countries, which, despite the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, must remain strong in order to address the common, multifaceted security and defence challenges, which undoubtedly require a coordinated response.