*Athanasios Tsakalos

The upgraded role of Greece in the geopolitical chessboard of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, but also the “renaissance” of the domestic defence industry, are to be at the heart of the international defence exhibition and security DEFEA – Defence Exhibition Athens 2023, which will take place from May 9 to 11 at the Metropolitan Expo.

The presence of numerous diplomatic missions and 350 representatives of leading defence companies from 27 countries confirms the fact that Greece is a point of reference for the wider region of Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Armenia, Austria, France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, India, Israel, Italy, China, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as the European Commission with its Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space, will attend this year’s DEFEA with national pavilions.

In addition to these countries, Cyprus will also attend for the second time the major Defence and Security exhibition with its own National Pavilion. The National Pavilion will host 6 member companies of the Cyprus Association Research and Innovation Enterprises of the Ministry of Defence. More details on participations will be available soon.

DEFEA will also be attended by independent entries from the UK, Bulgaria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Japan, Croatia, Norway, Poland, Romania and Sweden. The Greek Ministry of National Defence and the Hellenic National Defence General Staff will also have their own booths.

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The Foreground

The geopolitical, economic and technological developments from the United States to China and from Russia to Iran as well as the role of NATO, Europe and, by extension, Greece in the constantly changing landscape of threats and security challenges will be at the heart of this year’s DEFEA and will be the subject of discussion between political, academic and military actors.

As part of DEFEA, Greece is expected to be visited by dozens of national missions, Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Defence and Chiefs of Defence. The presence of high-ranking political and military officials coincides with the official launch of Greece’s campaign to elect the country as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2025-26, which aims to expand Greece’s geopolitical footprint in the international scene.

The fact that Greece organizes one of the most important defence and security exhibitions with international influence and, in fact, at a time when ‘tectonic’ changes are taking place, which shape the balance of future forces, not only confirms the country’s role as a pillar of security and stability, but also as a substantial regional power.

Also read: European Commission | European Defence Initiatives – DEFEA Participation

Emphasis on the domestic defence industry

The context of this year’s DEFEA was presented in detail to the Defence Attachés and the diplomatic missions of foreign states in a special meeting organized by the Ministry of National Defence, while a working meeting was also held with officials of the ROTA SA Exhibition Organization company.

Deputy Minister Mr. Hardalias sent out the message that the country needs a robust defence industry, which will act as a catalyst to achieve strategic autonomy. Extraversion is also required, with Greek companies presenting their products in new markets as well as in the largest defence exhibitions worldwide.

The strengthening of the domestic defence industry is the government’s strategic objective with the bar being set high, since Greece is investing significant sums in upgrading the operational capabilities of the Hellenic Armed Forces. With exhibitors from more than 27 countries and delegations from at least 55 countries, DEFEA is a hotspot of collaboration between the hundreds of representatives of the Greek and international defence community and the leaders of the global industrial sector.

As part of DEFEA’s proceedings, defence industry events and workshops will be organized and European and NATO initiatives such as the European Defence Fund (EDF Cross-Project Conference) and NATO defence innovation initiatives such as the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic-DIANA and the NATO Innovation Fund will be in the foreground.

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