Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius today (May 4) at the Maximos Mansion.
During the meeting, they discussed issues within Mr. Kubilius’s portfolio, particularly the Roadmap for strengthening the EU’s defense readiness 2030 and the need to strengthen and accelerate the European defense industry and production.
The Prime Minister briefed Mr. Kubilius on the Greek program to strengthen and modernize the Armed Forces and on the emphasis placed on innovation.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated the need for Article 42, paragraph 7 (TEU) to take on an operational dimension. He noted that European countries that recently provided defensive support to Cyprus on an ad hoc basis, without invoking the Article, have already taken practical steps in this direction.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the need for joint European funding for programs of common European interest, such as a European air defense shield, a proposal he had submitted in 2024 together with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
At the start of their meeting, the Prime Minister and the Commissioner had the following exchange (unofficial translation from English):
Kyriakos Mitsotakis:“I am particularly pleased to see you again in Athens, Commissioner. I believe you are visiting at a very interesting juncture, as discussions on Europe’s strategic autonomy and the strengthening of our defense capabilities appear to be the European Council’s top priority. You know that Greece has made a significant contribution to this discussion.
When it comes to defense spending, we are putting our words into action, but at the same time we are at the forefront of efforts to encourage Europe to cooperate more closely in the field of defense procurement, with an emphasis on new defense capabilities. And at a time when some of the traditional constants of the post-war order seem to be called into question, I believe it is extremely important that we have confidence in our own capabilities as Europe.
We firmly believe in the need to discuss Article 42, paragraph 7, of the European Treaties publicly. We demonstrated our commitment to Cyprus when our neighboring country was attacked by Hezbollah, by sending ships and aircraft. We are particularly looking forward to making this Article operational, so as to strengthen the defense commitment of EU Member States, should the need arise again to support a Member State under attack.
And of course, regarding space, we have taken the first steps with the launch a few days ago of four new microsatellites and two nanosatellites. We are beginning to establish our own presence in space, and, of course, for sectors such as civil protection, this is an urgent priority.
So let me pause here and welcome you once again. I believe this discussion is particularly important, especially in light of the new Multiannual Financial Framework. I firmly believe that for certain sectors we consider to be of the utmost priority, we should explore the possibility of joint European borrowing to finance projects of common interest.
I believe that defense is the quintessential European public good and must be supported, in addition to the actions we undertake at the national level, through some form of joint European borrowing.”
Andrius Kubilius:“Mr. Prime Minister, first of all, thank you very much for the opportunity to meet. It is a great pleasure and a great honor for me. Second, I agree with everything you said from the start; I will try to highlight specific points that we consider particularly important.
First and foremost, we are truly delighted to see Greece taking the lead in the development of European defense, with everything you are doing: with “Achilles Shield,” with the 12-year program worth 26 billion euros. It’s truly remarkable. I always tell other countries: “Look at Greece, follow what they’re doing,” because the challenges are certainly significant, both for developing our capabilities and for growing our industry.
We must always remind ourselves that right now, at least based on what we see in the public data, Russia continues to outpace us in production with its economy operating at wartime speeds; the scale is quite different. That is why, then, we really need to step up our efforts.
Second, Greece is undoubtedly an example that particularly inspires us when it comes to the development of your space capabilities. I congratulate you on the recent launch and on your participation in the very important European GOVSATCOM (Government Satellite Communications) program, as well as on the way you are utilizing the Recovery Fund. I am trying, in this case as well, to urge everyone to take Greece as an example in terms of how to utilize the Recovery Fund’s resources, to follow this good example.
Certainly, the next point on which I fully agree with you—and I have spoken about this—is that Article 42, paragraph 7, is very important for us as a first step in the effort to view institutional defense readiness in a structural manner. That is, we have material defense readiness, which concerns the production and procurement of weapons and more funding for defense. Beyond that, however, the issue is institutional defense readiness, and Article 42, paragraph 7 is truly critical.
Having done some preliminary work—a little preliminary work—I truly see that we have quite a few very good tools at our disposal. First and foremost, on the political front, because when crisis and war loom, support from the political sphere is very important. On the military side, we need to examine how we can coordinate our efforts. I hope, however, that we will manage to produce a—I would say—manual to help all the institutions understand what needs to be done.
And one last point: the Greek Presidency is approaching. Time may seem like...”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: “Immediately after the Lithuanian Presidency .”
Andrius Kubilius: “Exactly. We certainly believe that defense and space are truly very important issues. We hope that some issues will have been resolved earlier. However, the simplification of the defense framework, the EU Space Regulation, and, most importantly of course, the next Multiannual Financial Framework, with increased spending on defense and space—which we hope governments will support—will depend to a large extent on the Greek Presidency, provided these issues have not been resolved by then.
Once again, thank you very much for this meeting, and I greatly appreciate what you are doing.”