Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias stressed the importance of the active European presence in the Red Sea, describing Operation “Aspides” as a European naval defense arm in the region.

The Greek Minister of Defense said, in a series of tweets on his account on the “X” platform, on Saturday, that the Brigadier General in the Greek Navy; Konstantinos Petikakis, took over the responsibilities of commanding the European ASPEDS mission from his predecessor, the Italian Navy Admiral; Massimo Bono, who has been leading the mission since his appointment on August 8.

During his attendance at the command handover ceremony held in Djibouti, on board the Italian warship (ANDREA DORIA), Dendias added that Operation Aspids not only protects European ships, but also peace, security and freedom of navigation in the region, which is extremely important. For the economy of the European Union countries and their citizens. Limit his description.

He said, “Our presence here is of great importance, not only to protect our common values, but also for the powerful symbolism they contain. It demonstrates what can be achieved through a united Europe when facing common challenges with solidarity, unity and unwavering determination.”

He pointed out that his country has a clear and important contribution to the European operation, as it also runs the operations headquarters in the city of Larissa under the leadership of his compatriot, the Admiral; Vassilis Griparis, in addition to the participation of its frigate (SPETSAI) in the operation, “this strategic partnership strengthens Greece’s naval presence in the region and contributes to ensuring security in the Red and Mediterranean Bahrain,” he said.