Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias arrived in Helsinki on Tuesday for official talks and contacts that also focused on the so-called “Finnish model” for military conscription, something previously cited by civilian and military officials in Athens.
Dendias, among others, was received by his counterpart, Antti Häkkänen and the chairman of the Finnish parliament’s defense committee, Jukka Kopra.
As expected, bilateral talks were dominated by issues of bilateral defense cooperation.
In his first statement after his meeting with Häkkänen, Dendias said “…Greece and Finland share many similarities. They are medium-sized countries, but they are both located next to larger neighbors with revisionist ambitions. Both countries are also on the EU’s external borders. Both nations are states that believe in international law and in the International Law of the Sea, as they have a large number of islands.”
Πραγματοποιώ σήμερα επίσημη επίσκεψη στη Φινλανδία, όπου θα συναντηθώ με τον Υπουργό Άμυνας, @anttihakkanen και τον Πρόεδρο της Επιτροπής Άμυνας του Κοινοβουλίου της χώρας, @jukka_kopra.
Κατά την επίσκεψη θα συζητηθούν θέματα ενίσχυσης της διμερούς αμυντικής συνεργασίας και θα… pic.twitter.com/nCLVWLMxgZ
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) February 27, 2024
The Greek minister added that issues dealing with the Russian invasion of Ukraine two years after the war began, as well as the creation of a European Union defense mechanism were discussed.
In a related development, the Hellenic Navy frigate “Hydra” departed from its anchorage on the Saronic Gulf Island of Salamina late on Monday evening in order to join a EU naval mission – EUNAVFOR/Aspides – in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Hellenic Navy frigate “Hydra” departs from the Saronic Gulf Island of Salamina late on Monday evening in order to join a EU naval mission in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The latter, code-named “Aspides”, aims to protect shipping lanes in the specific sea regions from attacks by Houthi rebels.
