Defense Minister: Armenia and Greece expand cooperation in defense  sphere from year to year

ArmInfo. Armenia and Greece are successfully implementing the agreements reached in Athens in 2016 between the defense departments of the two countries. On March 29, at  the joint press conference with the Minister of Defense of Greece  Panos Kammenos, the head of the Armenian Defense Ministry Vigen  Sargsyan stated in Yerevan.

According to him, Kammenos's official visit to Armenia is a good  opportunity to sum up the results of the implementation of the  agreements reached in Athens in December 2016 and outline new  directions for cooperation. The Armenian Minister is also convinced  that the visit is also a good opportunity to get acquainted with the  successes achieved by Armenia in the field of military industry on  the fields of the International Exhibition of Arms and Defense  Technologies ArmHiTec-2018. "The agreement reached in 2016 is  successfully implemented. We are expanding our military cooperation  from year to year, and full implementation of the planned events will  help strengthen the brilliant traditions that have developed between  Armenia and Greece in terms of interaction," Sargsyan said.

He noted that at the meeting the common approach of the two countries  on issues of regional and international security was confirmed. "We  touched upon the military-political processes taking place in  neighboring countries and the possibilities for implementing joint  steps," Sargsyan said.

The Armenian minister added that about 170 Armenian officers received  education in the best Greek military educational institutions and  today hold high positions in different structures of the Defense  Ministry and provide reliable protection of the country.

Speaking about the prospects for expanding defense cooperation,  Sargsyan noted that the annual bilateral cooperation programs from  year to year are not only expanding, but also being carried out with  high efficiency. According to him, in general, cooperation in the  defense sphere includes the entire complex of training and training  potential existing between the two states. The Minister noted that  the two states cooperate in such areas as military medicine, the  training of special forces, personnel management, the exchange of  experience in the field of management, and as new areas of  interaction included the exchange of experience in the field of  cybersecurity and planning exercises for the air force. According to  him, military-technical cooperation is also proceeding successfully  and there are prospects for the successful implementation of mutually  beneficial projects. The Armenian Minister expressed his belief that  the visit by Mr. Kammenos to the defense exhibition in Yerevan and  familiarization with the products of the Armenian military-industrial  complex will give a new impetus to bilateral cooperation in the  defense sphere.

"We also discussed our problems with neighboring Turkey, and both  stressed the unacceptability of the policy of this state to conduct a  dialogue in the language of preconditions or threats. I also spoke  about the reasons for the cancellation of the Armenian-Turkish  protocols signed in 2009," the minister said.

Kammenos noted that he was impressed by the exhibition held in  Yerevan. According to him, this event is already becoming a good  tradition on the international arms arena. "We are two peoples with a  common destiny, survived the genocide and continue to have problems  with the same neighbors and allies. Armenia and Greece are facing  common challenges. And we need an approach to confront them. However,  I am convinced that the security of our countries is provided by our  Armed Forces, which are highly trained," concluded the Greek  minister.