Greece and Japan are two island countries facing challenges of a maritime environment, and can therefore see things in a similar way, National Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said following a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi in Tokyo on Thursday.

Following their meeting, Dendias said, “It is the first meeting between the defense ministers of Greece and Japan to ever take place. A meeting that allowed me to explain the challenges my country, Greece, is facing, and on the other side, to understand how Japan sees the challenges it faces.”

Both Greece and Japan “are two naval nations,” he said, adding that “Japan is a country that has signed the Treaty of Lausanne and the Treaty of Montreux, and therefore Japan’s views on UNCLOS – on the implementation of International Law in maritime space – are very important for us.”

Dendias said he looked forward to a cooperation between the Defense Innovation Science & Technology Institute, of Japan’s Research and Technology organization, with Greece’s Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation SA (ELKAK). “We have already discussed with Minister Mr Koizumi how to implement this cooperation,” the Greek minister said, adding that he had extended an invitation to his counterpart to visit Greece, another first.

Following the meeting of the two ministers, extended talks were held between delegations.

Between Wednesday and Thursday, the Greek defense minister had met with other officials, visited research institutes, the House of Representatives, and the Japan Greece Society in nearby cities, while he was accompanied on Wednesday by Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office and Deputy Defense Minister of Japan Shinji Yoshida.