Deputy Minister of National Defence Thanasis Davakis Meets with Deputy Minister of Defence of Spain Amparo Valcarce

Deputy Minister of National Defence Thanasis Davakis Meets with Deputy Minister of Defence of Spain Amparo Valcarce

March 20, 2026

On Thursday 19 March 2026, the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Thanasis Davakis met with his Spanish counterpart Amparo Valcarce in a cordial meeting, at the headquarters of the Spanish state-owned company ISDEFE, in Madrid.

The purpose of meeting, which takes place after many years, was the enhancement and deepening of the relations between the two countries regarding defence and the defence industry.

The two Deputy Ministers discussed the existing framework of cooperation between the two countries and underlined the need to take initiatives by utilising the available European funding mechanisms and the already existing cooperation schemes.

In the meantime, the two sides exchanged opinions on the common priorities within NATO and the EU and focused the talks on initiatives for the development of mutual technological programmes, taking advantage of the expertise and the comparative advantages of the two countries' ecosystems. There was particular emphasis on the cooperation between small- and medium-sized businesses of the area of defence.

Thanasis Davakis invited his counterpart to Athens, where they can continue the important bilateral discussions.

After the completion of intergovernmental contacts, Ms. Valcarce and Mr. Davakis participated in the conference of industrial cooperation, which took place between Spanish and Greek defence companies. Representatives of twenty-five (25) companies from the two countries participated in the conference, which was organised in the framework of the bilateral meeting of the two Deputy Ministers.

During the conference, 74 formal, bilateral (B2B) meetings between Greek and Spanish company representatives took place, something that proves the auspicious potential that is developing at the level of private initiative between the ecosystems of the two countries as well.

During his contacts in the Spanish capital, Mr. Davakis was accompanied by the Ambassador of Greece to Spain, Apostolos Baltas, the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, Thanos Dokos, the Chief Executive Officer of the Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation (HCDI), Pantelis Tzortzakis, the General Director of the General Directorate of Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA), Major General Ioannis Bouras, and the Director of HNDGS/F Branch, which is responsible for Development, Innovation, and Defence Technology matters, Major General Georgios Panousis.

After the meeting, Mr. Davakis Stated:

"The recent visit of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Spain last January and his discussions with his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez formed new potential for our bilateral relations.

My meeting with the Deputy Minister of Defence of Spain, Ms. Amparo Valcarce is the result of the common course of the two Prime Ministers in expanding the cooperation of the two countries on the fields of defence and defence industry even further.

Besides, the initiatives that the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias has taken, such as the establishment of the Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation and of HNDGS/F Branch, laid the sound foundations needed for such a cooperation.

We are rather interested in developing synergies, emphasising on small- and medium-sized businesses, which constitute a significant part of both the Greek and European industrial base in the area of defence.

I am pleased by this meeting with my Spanish counterpart, because we took a significant step forward, from realising our capabilities to turning them into specific synergies".