Critical summit between Greece and Finland: Turkey also entered the agenda
General Director of the General Directorate of National Political Defense and International Relations (GDPEADS) of the Greek Ministry of National Defense, Dr. Konstantinos Balomenos held a meeting in Athens with his Finnish counterpart, Janne Kuusela, with whom he held bilateral consultations, within the framework the strengthening of bilateral defense relations between Greece and Finland.
The Deputy Director General, the Director of International Relations and senior officials from the Ministry of Defense also attended the meeting organized by Greece, while officials from the Research and Analysis Department of the Civil Defense Directorate of the Finnish Ministry of Defense attended the meeting.
ATTENTION TO DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
According to the news published on www.ptisidiastima.com, which attracts attention with its military and political news in Greece; During the consultations, Director General Dr. Konstantinos Balomenos briefed his Finnish counterpart on important issues of interest to Greece in the field of regional security and, in particular, in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
In the NATO context, it was stated that Greece also emphasized European defense policy and cooperation issues by presenting Greece’s national priorities, as well as the Greek position regarding Finland’s NATO membership process.
In particular, Director General Balomenos highlighted the strategic importance of the Eastern Mediterranean region in general, presented the current challenges and threats at the national, regional and allied levels, and highlighted the framework of opportunities and possibilities for cooperation to strengthen prosperity, stability and development in the region. In addition, extensive coverage was given to the effects of the Russian occupation of Ukraine on regional and European security, the military defense sector, the energy efficiency of the countries of the European Union and the protection of critical infrastructure. Topics such as the connection of Russian aggression with military operations in Syria and the possibility of exerting pressure on Middle Eastern and North African states in the future were discussed.
CHARGED TURKEY WITH NEO OTTOMAN POLICIES
It was emphasized that Turkey was implementing revisionist policies and had “neo-Ottoman” Turkish ambitions against Greece.
In particular, it was stated that detailed statistics were presented on the violations of the Greek national territorial waters by the Turkish navy and coast guard ships, alleging that the Turkish air force committed violations of the Greek FIR line.
THEY SAID “TURKEY OBSTRUCTS POTENTIAL COOPERATION”
Senior Greek military officials conveyed Turkey’s Blue Homeland project to the Finnish delegation, arguing that President Erdogan is making groundless accusations about the disarmament of the Eastern Aegean islands.
In addition, Director General Balomenos criticized Turkey’s unconstructive attitude towards Sweden and Finland’s participation in NATO, emphasizing that Turkey creates obstacles in the possible cooperation between the EU and NATO.
At the same time, the Greek side, referring extensively to the issue of immigration, the Greek side, by presenting the so-called supporting evidence of Turkey’s strategy of using immigration as a tool, specifically that Turkey used it to destabilize Greece and put pressure on the EU to achieve his foreign policy objectives and underlined that he was engaged in hybrid tactics.
Regarding this issue, Dr. Balomenos argued that Turkey has developed arguments that prove that it is a threat both to Greece and to its allies within the EU and NATO.
THEY SHARE THE SAME CHALLENGES AND THREATS
At the meeting of high-level representatives of Greece, also with regard to the field of European defense cooperation, the Greek side underlined the need for coherence, continuity, solidarity, stability and finding a balanced solution, given the ongoing war in Ukraine .
He also made special reference to the EU’s “Strategic Compass”, arguing that it is a key tool for shaping a strong and credible European defense policy.
In the same perspective, reference was made to the role of Greece in consolidating security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the role played in the “IRINI” operation as a reliable provider of security in the region in general, as well as the role that the EU was called to play.
GREECE AND FINLAND UNDER HYBRID THREAT
Finally, the Director General of Defense Policy of both countries found that Greece and Finland share the same challenges and threats. It was emphasized that Greece faced a hybrid threat from Turkey and Finland faced a hybrid threat from Russia. In this context, it is stated that a formula of common will for further cooperation has been agreed.
The emerging “hybrid threat” concept is known as a type of action carried out by state or non-state actors to weaken or harm a target through overt or covert, military and non-military means.