National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias is to have a series of important meetings while in London, where he arrived on Thursday.

On Friday he is to meet the general director of the Imperial War Museums, Caro Howell, with whom he will discuss the prospect of cooperation with the war museums in Greece and the provision of expertise. The meeting has added interest in view of the planned changes to the War Museum of Athens and the functional upgrading of its facilities. Howell, who has also worked at the Tate Modern and Founding Museum in London is known for being passionate about museum educational programmes.

On Thursday evening, Dendias attended an event at the Greek embassy residence in London on the Greek Language, to mark Greek Language Day on Friday, with the author Victoria Hislop as the speaker. A number of British philhellenes, academics and Greek expatriates were among the guests, who were welcomed by Ambassador Ioannis Tsaousis. It focused on the international appeal of the Greek language as a tool for promoting Greek culture.

On Monday, Dendias will have a meeting, at the ambassador’s residence in London, with the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, who is responsible, among other things, for the Operational Policy of the country’s Armed Forces. Among the topics to be discussed are cooperation in technology and research, as well as the “Prosperity Guardian” operation in the Red Sea.

While in the UK, Dendias will also meet British officials, academics and experts in defence technology issues to exchange views and ideas on establishing an innovation ecosystem for the Greek armed forces.