On Monday 7 October 2024, the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias participated in the Defence Ministers’ Summit of the Adriatic and Ionian (ADRION) Initiative, held in Venice.
The Minister of Defence of Albania Pirro Vengu, the Deputy Minister of Defence of Croatia Drago Matanović, the Minister of Defence of Italy Guido Crosetto, the Deputy Minister of Defence of Montenegro Marco Marković, and the Deputy Minister of Defence of Slovenia Damir Ćrncec also participated in the Initiative’s Defence Ministers’ Summit, which is chaired by Greece from June 2024 until May 2025.
The Greek Minister of National Defence, during his intervention, emphasised how the ADRION Initiative is an example of successful regional cooperation in sectors of major priority and importance, such as the maritime safety and the interoperability of the Navies of the Initiative’s Member – States.
Mr Dendias also pointed out how, through the activities of the ADRION Initiative, the means and mechanisms at member states’ disposal, as well as joint maritime surveillance, are reinforced against challenges, a fact which contributes to safety in the Mediterranean, a region of great importance to broader European security, economic development, free trade, maritime environment protection and energy security.
The Minister, further, underlined, that the ADRION Initiative rests on a total respect of the sovereignty, independence, and sovereign rights of all states, according to International Law, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The ADRION Ministers’ Summit adopted the attached Joint Statement