Deputy defence minister opens conference on common EU security policy in Athens

Deputy Defence Minister Ioannis Lambropoulos stressed the need for "rationalism and realism" in dealing with the challenges emerging on the global "geopolitical chessboard" during his opening address to the "Security and Crisis Management International Conference ATHENA” that kicked off in Athens on Tuesday.

The

event, organised by the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, is a think tank conference on common security and defence issues taking place in the context of Greece's presidency of the European Council and will run until June 19.

Lambropoulos also repeated Greece's position on European's security strategy, calling for a "general institutional reorganisation so that the EU can respond to the role that history has in store for it". He said the EU must be equipped with the necessary means and accelerate military reforms, so that it has the necessary form of autonomy in the area of operational planning.

"We must reinforce the functioning of the European Defence Agency, make an effort to avoid overlapping efforts with the Allies, improve access to the industry of imported technology and increase the share of research cooperation," he added.

source: ΑΜΝΑ