Greece and Cyprus brought defence officials, European Commission representatives and industry participants together in Athens on 24 September 2026 for an EDIP Info Day and a joint Greece–Cyprus Defence Industry Day. The events, held at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club, were organised by the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence’s General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus.

Opening remarks were delivered by Major General Ioannis Bouras, Director General of the GDDIA, on behalf of the Greek ministry, and Georgios Stavrou, Head of the Defence Industry Development Sector within Cyprus’s Directorate of Armaments and Defence Capability Development, on behalf of the Cypriot ministry.

The programme examined European defence industry initiatives and the opportunities they may create for companies in both countries. A representative of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) presented recent developments concerning the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), together with related EU actions and instruments.

Captain Dimitrios Filiangos of the Hellenic Navy, Director of the GDDIA’s Directorate for Defence Investments and Technological Research, discussed the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034, which is still being developed. Angelos Kokkinos, Cyprus’s Deputy European Defence Agency Liaison Officer, presented the Republic of Cyprus’s participation and the potential involvement of Cypriot defence companies in European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCI).

The event also included organised business meetings between Greek and Cypriot companies and organisations. These sessions gave participants an opportunity to establish contacts and explore partnerships, consortia and joint proposals. They connected the discussion of European programmes with potential cooperation between the two countries’ defence industries.

The Cypriot Ministry of Defence thanked the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence and the GDDIA for hosting and organising the event. The joint forum formed part of the continuing effort to deepen Greek–Cypriot defence industry cooperation and develop initiatives at both bilateral and European level.