The Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, participated today, Monday, October 5, 2026, in the Summit of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative (ADRION Initiative), at the level of Defence Ministers.
The Summit, as announced by the Ministry of National Defence, was held aboard the historic Italian Navy ship Amerigo Vespucci, moored in Venice.
The Defence Ministers of the states participating in the Initiative also took part in the Summit.
Specifically, the Defence Ministers of Italy - which hosted the meeting - Guido Crosetto, Albania Ermal Nufi, Croatia Ivan Anusic, Montenegro Dragan Krapovic and Slovenia Valentin Hajdinjak participated.
The subject of the Summit, as stated, was the cooperation of the countries of the Adriatic and the Ionian, with the aim of strengthening security, stability and operational cooperation in the wider region, including the Mediterranean.
Among other things, the contemporary security challenges and the need for a strong collective European defence approach to address them were discussed.
Mr. Dendias, for his part, pointed out the need to create a common European defensive protection shield, along the lines of the “Achilles Shield,” which Greece is already planning based on the timetable of the “Agenda 2030” reform.
“The goal of our country is to contribute, with consistency, strategic perception and active presence, to shaping a stronger framework of regional security, with International Law and the International Law of the Sea as a stable point of reference,” Mr. Dendias stressed.
At the bilateral level, the Minister of National Defence discussed with his Italian counterpart the possibility of granting Greece two used Italian minesweepers.
Within the framework of the ADRION Summit, the Minister of National Defence also met with the Minister of Defence of Slovenia V. Hajdinjak, with whom he discussed strengthening bilateral defence relations.
During the meeting, the Slovenian Minister of Defence invited the Greek Minister to the SEDM (South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial) Ministerial Summit, which will be held in Slovenia and over which Greece holds the Presidency.
For his part, Mr. Dendias invited his Slovenian counterpart to visit Greece.
SOURCE: ANA