Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to stress Greece's stability and credibility as a NATO ally during his intervention at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Wednesday. According to government sources, Mitsotakis will highlight that Greece has consistently met its NATO defence spending commitment of 2% of GDP, even during the economic crisis years, significantly contributing to the Alliance’s capabilities in a region vital for both regional and international security. 

He is also expected to address the latest developments in the Middle East, the threats to regional and global security, and the role the Alliance is called upon to play in the midst of an increasingly uncertain international environment. 
Mitsotakis will also point out that Greece spends around 3% of its GDP on defence as it faces multiple security challenges. He will also stress that Greece is in the hard core of Alliance countries that have exceeded the current 2% commitment and is ranked 5th among NATO countries in terms of defence spending as a percentage of GDP. 

According to the same sources, Greek Premier will also mention the country's 12-year 25 billion euro arms programme. Government sources point out that the main issue of the Summit is the updating of the Defense Investment Pledge (DIP) to 5% of GDP by 2035 and as they explain, this target consists of two pillars: the 3.5% that concerns purely military spending and the 1.5% that concerns broader security and defense-related investments, such as infrastructure, industry and resilience. 

On the sidelines of NATO's Summit, Mitsotakis will meet with Canadian counterpart Mark Carney.
 

(File photo: Χ/Prime Minister GR)