Greece and Israel have agreed to step up defence cooperation, with Israel set to help Greece develop technology to counter military drone swarms, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said following talks in Athens with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz.
Στο πλαίσιο της επίσημης επίσκεψής του στην #Αθήνα, υποδέχτηκα σήμερα, με ιδιαίτερη χαρά, στο Υπουργείο Εθνικής Άμυνας, τον Υπουργό Άμυνας του Κράτους του #Ισραήλ, @Israel_katz, με τον οποίο συζητήσαμε για τις στρατηγικές αμυντικές σχέσεις 🇬🇷-🇮🇱 και τις προοπτικές για την… pic.twitter.com/A457V5R5SB
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) January 20, 2026
Dendias said the discussions focused on sharing expertise to confront unmanned threats, including coordinated groups of aerial and underwater drones, as well as cooperation in countering cyber threats.
Katz described the bilateral partnership as “an anchor of stability in the Mediterranean.”
The move builds on a defence agreement signed in December by Greece, Israel and Cyprus, under which Israel is already supporting Greece’s efforts to strengthen its air defence capabilities.
One of the most important pillars of 🇬🇷-🇮🇱 cooperation is our defence ecosystem.
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) January 20, 2026
Our goal is for #Greece to transition from being a "customer” and “buyer” of defence systems only, to a country co-producing – producing relatively low cost and dual-use innovative products. The… pic.twitter.com/7DMCXuBUiP
Dendias said Greece is seeking to follow Israel’s model by expanding its domestic defence industry, shifting from a buyer of systems to a co-producer of innovative, lower-cost technologies.
The agreement also provides for joint military exercises, special operations training and regular strategic consultations, against the backdrop of heightened regional instability and Greece’s ongoing maritime dispute with Turkey.
Source: Ekathimerini.
