Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to arrive in Ankara on Tuesday evening to attend the 36th NATO Summit, with Athens set to underline the need for a stronger European defense and Greece’s role as a reliable ally.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will host a dinner for leaders of NATO member states on Tuesday evening, while the main summit discussions are scheduled for Wednesday morning.
A key focus will be implementing the agreement reached by NATO’s 32 leaders to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Athens is expected to highlight Greece’s strategic importance in the eastern Mediterranean and its role as a stable and dependable partner within the Alliance. Government officials note that Greece remained committed to its NATO obligations even during the country’s financial crisis. In the lead-up to the NATO Summit, Mitsotakis stated, “Greece’s position is firm in support of a stronger European defense.”
The government is also expected to present a new 12-year, €25 billion arms modernization program for the Greek Armed Forces.
