Greece and Portugal Expand Defence and Economic Cooperation

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro pledged to strengthen cooperation in defence, economic relations, civil protection and European policy during talks at the Maximos Mansion in Athens.

Mitsotakis opened the joint statements by expressing condolences to the Portuguese people for the deaths of Portuguese citizens and Portuguese-Venezuelans in the recent Venezuela earthquakes.

He said that although Greece and Portugal sit at opposite ends of Europe, the two nations share deep historical and strategic ties as maritime countries with strong global diasporas and democratic traditions.

Defence and Security Cooperation

Mitsotakis said both governments agreed to expand defence cooperation and develop stronger partnerships in the defence industry. He noted Portugal’s recent progress in defence manufacturing and highlighted the importance of building a stronger European defence base in response to evolving geopolitical challenges.

He also reiterated that Europe must assume greater responsibility for its collective security through increased defence investment, joint production and operational readiness, while supporting the practical implementation of the European Union’s mutual assistance clause.

Civil Protection and Wildfire Preparedness

The two leaders also focused on climate resilience and civil protection, with both countries facing increasing threats from severe wildfires and extreme weather.

Mitsotakis thanked firefighters, armed forces personnel, volunteers and local authorities as Greece entered a day of maximum wildfire alert. He stressed that no country can tackle large-scale natural disasters alone and called for stronger European cooperation through the rescEU mechanism.

He noted that Greece assisted Portugal during last year’s devastating wildfires and said joint procurement of firefighting aircraft demonstrates European solidarity in action.

Migration and European Budget

The leaders reaffirmed their shared approach to migration, supporting stronger protection of the EU’s external borders, dismantling migrant smuggling networks, effective return policies and legal migration pathways that meet labour market needs.

Mitsotakis thanked Portugal for its longstanding contribution to Frontex operations and its support for Greece’s border protection efforts.

On European finances, the Greek prime minister argued that the European Union cannot address growing responsibilities with outdated funding levels.

“Europe cannot do more with less,” Mitsotakis said, calling for increased investment in defence, energy security, critical infrastructure and competitiveness while protecting cohesion funding and the Common Agricultural Policy.

He also urged member states to pursue discussions on new EU revenue sources with greater ambition.

Middle East and Maritime Security

The two prime ministers discussed developments in the Middle East, Ukraine and the Strait of Hormuz.

Mitsotakis warned that renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz risk increasing global oil prices and inflationary pressures. He reaffirmed Greece’s commitment to freedom of navigation and rejected any proposal to impose transit fees through the strategic waterway.

He also highlighted Greece’s participation in the EU’s Operation Aspides in the Red Sea.

Portugal’s UN Security Council Election

Mitsotakis congratulated Portugal on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term and offered Greece’s support by sharing its experience from its current 2025-2026 membership.

Lessons from the Financial Crisis

During the press conference, Mitsotakis compared how Greece and Portugal emerged from the European debt crisis.

He said Portugal required only one financial assistance programme because its major political parties supported necessary reforms, while Greece required three bailout programmes after years of political division.

The prime minister stressed that both countries now share a strong commitment to fiscal discipline and warned against promises of unfunded public spending.

“It would be easy to distribute money simply to be popular,” Mitsotakis said. “But the consequences for everything we achieved through great sacrifice would be dramatic.”

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