Panagiotopoulos

Greece's red lines are clearly marked, Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said Wednesday, adding that the country does not hesitate to "show its teeth" in the face of external threats.

Responding to a question in Parliament regarding Turkish provocations, Panagiotopoulos said Greece had demonstrated its determination during the "organized attempt to violate our borders in Evros."

The Greek naval training exercise "Kataigida '20" that was originally scheduled to begin on Monday was postponed until further notice over the weekend due to concerns stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and, reportedly, as part of a bid to find a balance in Greek-Turkish relations.

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos urged the country's NATO allies to contribute more to efforts for defending the country's sea border against migrant flows from Turkey amid rumors of a new planned push from the neighboring country.

Greece will not extend its suspension of asylum applications, the government said Monday, vowing however to tighten up security at the borders.

The country announced a one-month block on new claims on March 1 after Turkey "opened the doors" for migrants to travel to the European Union. 

Talks between Greek and Turkish defense officials completed on Thursday a round of talks that begun on Monday on confidence-building measures (CBM), state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported.

According to the Defense Ministry, the heads of the two delegations met briefly with Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos.

Ankara should refrain from activities that fuel tensions in the region, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos told Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar in a meeting on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.

The amendment to the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement between Greece and the United States "serves mutual interests," Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos told Parliament ahead of a vote on the deal Thursday.

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos (left) arrived in Israel on Wednesday for an official two-day visit at the invitation of his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett. [ANA-MPA/Defense Ministry's press office]

Heavy snowfall and gale-force winds shut down the popular ski resort of Vora-Kaimaktsalan in Pella, northern Greece, on Tuesday.

Resort manager Panos Panagiotopoulos told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that a fierce blizzard kicked up in the area in the early hours of Tuesday, making conditions hazardous at the popular winter destination.

Greek Defense Ministry Nikos Panagiotopoulos on Thursday stressed the government's commitment to boosting the country's flagging defense industry.