«It is now time for Greece to embark on shipbuilding programmes,» said General (ret.) Honorary Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Konstantinos Floros, said during the BLUE STRATEGY SUMMIT 2026 conference, which took place at the InterContinental Athens on Monday 25 May under the auspices the Presidency of the Republic, with the support of the Ministries of National Defence, Environment and Energy, Development, Labour and Social Security, Infrastructure and Transport, and Shipping and Island Policy.
Among other things, he emphasised: «The existence of shipyards in the EU is an absolute necessity if it is to achieve defence autonomy. It is a mystery how Greece allowed this capability, which it once possessed, to “slip through its fingers” and was subsequently lost. I am now quite optimistic that Greece will be able to plan and implement shipbuilding programmes.».
He added: «Greece must be well-equipped – very well-equipped, in fact – so that it can be a restless, unsettling neighbour. There is nothing more important for the Armed Forces than knowing that their country has the capacity to repair the equipment they use – and this is not limited solely to shipbuilding.».
The Honorary Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff also noted, amongst other things: «It has now become clear to European leaders that they cannot remain uninvolved in defence matters whilst focusing their attention elsewhere (…) I believe it will continue to complement NATO».
On Turkey, he said: «It is a state undergoing profound structural revision, for which everything is becoming increasingly restrictive. The treaties it has signed are becoming increasingly restrictive, international law is becoming increasingly restrictive, and good relations are becoming increasingly restrictive. Turkey has managed to have zero neighbours without any problems. It has problems with all its neighbours, and with us too, of course. The Armed Forces are the guarantors and know how to respond should we be provoked. Although this will not happen, thanks to the deterrent power of our Armed Forces.».
The discussion was moderated by Christos Mazanitis, a journalist with ANT1 and Real.
The conference agenda included, amongst other things, issues relating to the restructuring of the shipbuilding industry, attracting investment, domestic expertise, technical training, shipping finance, dual-use technologies, the defence industry, as well as the energy transition and new technological requirements in the shipping sector.
Watch the entire EEN Blue Strategy Summit 2026, as broadcast live on its YouTube channel, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po-OwjiZSYQ