Greece to forge national security policy by year-end

Greece will in the coming months hammer out a policy on national security that will address its vital national interests, the country’s “red lines” and the key threats to its sovereignty.

The task of forging a National Security Strategy, patterned after the US model, will be undertaken by Thanos P. Dokos, national security adviser to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after a decision by the Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA) on Thursday.

One of Dokos’ main challenges will be to iron out the problems caused by the different government ministries involved in policy-making: the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Defense, the Digital Governance Ministry and the Ministry of Citizens Protection. 

Dokos is expected to have a strategy in place by the end of the year. KYSEA is likely to hold another meeting until then to decide on the final shape of the National Security Council.

It is understood that the strategy will address the challenges posed by Turkey and the situation in the eastern Mediterranean – also in the wake of Ankara’s provocations last summer. It will in that respect also reflect a shift in Greece’s security landscape as new areas, such as Libya (due to the Turkey-Libya agreement on maritime boundaries), have come into focus.

The strategy will be updated every five years to account for changes in the regional and international security environment.