The Chair of the NATO Military Committee (CMC), Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone travelled to Greece to meet the country's top military leadership. While in Athens, he also paid respects at the Monument of the Unknown Solider.
The official visit began with Admiral Cavo Dragone participating in a solemn wreath laying ceremony at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, dedicated to Greek soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
During his meeting with the Chief of Defence, General Dimitrios Choupis, and his staff, CMC praised Greece for its steadfast contribution with professional and committed armed forces to the Alliance's approach to deterrence and defence. The discussion then focused on the road to the NATO Summit in The Hague, and in particular about the call to Allies to invest more in defence. "NATO must be ready to face any potential threat, coming from any domain," said Admiral Cavo Dragone. "We are ready now, but we must continue to be ready in the future. For this, Allies have agreed on ambitious capability targets last week. And this requires an urgent step up in defence budgets, by each of the Allies." In this regard, CMC commended Greece for "continually meeting the threshold of defence spending, and even investing well above the 2% mark."
Additionally, in reference to the contribution that Greece provides for a stronger Alliance, General Choupis discussed with Admiral Cavo Dragone the national defence plan called 'Agenda 2030'. The recent launch of the 'Achilles Shield' project was also highlighted, as an initiative to bolster the nation's air and missile defence systems, which are part of the capabilities NATO has placed major emphasis on.
