Upon his arrival at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis outlined the agenda for discussion with his counterparts and announced that he would inform them regarding the presence of an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) in the Ionian Sea.

Gerapetritis noted that this is a “particularly serious development” and stressed that “the investigation into the incident by the General Staff is currently underway. When the investigation is completed and the necessary technical features are understood, there will be a reaction from the Greek government with the necessary steps.”

He pointed out that “Greece will not allow military actions to unfold in the wider Mediterranean region, and especially not in the areas towards Greece,” underlining that the country “will take all necessary steps to ensure that the Mediterranean does not become a theater of military operations.”

Gerapetritis’ full statement was the following:

“In the Foreign Affairs Council, we will have the opportunity to discuss major issues, which are currently relevant for Gaza, Ukraine and the Western Balkans. Greece is at the forefront of most initiatives.

“With regard to peace in the wider Middle East, Greece, with its strong alliances, has a leading role. We emphasize at every opportunity the need to ensure absolute freedom of navigation and we are prepared to take all necessary actions, in cooperation with our partners and allies.

“As regards the Western Balkans, Greece has taken a strong initiative with the Delphi Declaration, which was signed a few weeks ago and strengthens the effort, so that enlargement becomes a reality with a view to the Greek presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2027.

“I would also like to point out that I will inform the Council about a particularly serious incident, which was observed in recent days, and I refer to the existence of a unmanned maritime vessel in the Ionian Sea.

“This is a particularly serious development. The investigation into the incident by the General Staff is currently underway. When the investigation is completed and the necessary technical features are understood, there will be a reaction from the Greek government with the necessary steps.

“I would like to emphasize, however, that Greece will not allow military actions to unfold in the wider Mediterranean region, and particularly in the areas towards Greece. This creates a huge risk in terms of the freedom of navigation, but also the safety of citizens and the environment.

“Greece will take all necessary steps to ensure that the Mediterranean does not become a theater of military operations.”