The General Director of the General Directorate of National Defence Policy and International Relations (GDNDRIR) of the Ministry of National Defence (MoD), Ambassador a.h. Michel Spinellis, participated in the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) High-Level Workshop and the Informal Meeting of EU Defence Policy Directors, held in Budapest from 16 to 17 July 24.

At the meeting of the PESCO high-level workshop, EU Member States’ Defence Policy Directors exchanged views on how to strengthen coherence between the Cooperation and the European Defence Fund (EDF). They also discussed how the recently presented European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) and the proposed European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) could support PESCO, as part of its strategic review for the years 2026-2030.

During the first session of the Informal Meeting of Defence Policy Directors, a discussion took place on the EU support to Ukraine and in particular, on the progress achieved in the functioning of the Ukraine Assistance Fund (UAF), in the framework of the European Peace Facility (EPF), as well as on the strategic review of EUMAM Ukraine.

At the second session, Defence Policy Directors were briefed on the EU’s external action in the Sahel, the Gulf of Guinea and the Red Sea, with a focus on Operation EUNAVFOR ASPIDES and, in addition, discussed the latest developments regarding the EU Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC).

The meeting concluded with an exchange of views on EU defence preparedness and the strengthening of the defence industry, and in particular, on the implementation of EDIS and the negotiation on the EDIP.