Greece and Israel Forge Partnership on Anti-Drone and Cybersecurity

Greece-Israel Defense Cooperation

ATHENS, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Greece will cooperate with Israel on anti-drone systems and cybersecurity, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday after meeting his Israeli counterpart in Athens.

"We agreed to exchange views and know-how to be able to deal with drones and in particular swarms of unmanned vehicles and groups of unmanned subsea vehicles," Dendias said in joint statements with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz. 

"We will also work together in order to be ready to intercept cyber threats."

Joint Military Initiatives

With strong economic and diplomatic ties, Greece and Israel operate an air training centre on Greek territory and have held joint military drills in recent years.

Cybersecurity Measures

Greece last year approved the purchase of 36 Israeli-made PULS rocket artillery systems for about 650 million euros ($762.52 million). It has also been in talks with Israel to develop an anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic multi-layer air and drone defence system, estimated to cost about 3 billion euros.

Regional Security Concerns

"We are equally determined regarding another critical issue: not to allow actors who seek to undermine regional stability to gain a foothold through terror, aggression or military proxies in Syria, in Gaza, in the Aegean Sea," Katz said.

Dendias and Katz did not say who would pose drone, cyber or other threats to their countries. But Greece and Israel both see Turkey as a significant regional security concern.

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(Reporting by Elefterios Papadimas in Athens; Additional reporting by Omri Taasan in Jerusalem writing by Angeliki Koutantou; editing by Sharon Singleton and Mark Heinrich)