On Friday, October, 5, 2018, HNDGS Chief, Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis HN, received at HNDGS HQs, General Eberhard Zorn, CHOD of Germany, who is paying an official visit to Greece from October 4 to 6, 2018.

During bilateral talks the two CHODs discussed:

  • the international security environment.
  • the existing military cooperation both at bilateral and euroatlantic level and the prospects of its enhancement, in the domains of joint operational and individual training.
  • the contribution of NATO and EU OPS in intercepting the refugee flows in the Aegean and the Mediterranean Sea, respectively.

HNDGS Chief underlined that:

  • Hellenic Armed Forces undertake initiatives to promote bilateral and multilateral military cooperation with states in the Balkans, North Africa and Middle East, in order to deal with common security challenges.
  • Regional defence initiatives such as the recent co-training in the field of special forces between Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia (SOF exercise “SALAMIS STORM 2018”), further contribute to strengthening the stability in the Balkans.
  • German Armed Forces personnel’s broad participation (608 persons) in NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC) training programmes proves the high level of the existing bilateral military cooperation and the way ahead. In this context, HNDGS Chief invited the German Air Force to participate in the multinational exercise “INIOHOS”.
  • Common effort is needed to achieve EU Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) goals.
  • The violations of Hellenic territorial sea and airspace by Turkish armed forces are faced with determination by Hellenic armed forces.

During his stay in the HNDGS HQs, General Eberhard Zorn, was also briefed on Greece’s defense policy and Hellenic Armed Forces main issues and priorities, and visited National Operations Center, where he observed the progress and activities of the national joint exercise “PARMENION 2018”.

During his stay in Athens, German CHOD will visit the National & Archeological Museum, the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.