IISS Manama Dialogue 2026 | Virtual Keynote Address by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Summary

At the opening of the 22nd IISS Manama Dialogue, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis joined by video from New York, where Greece was presiding over the UN Security Council. He said maritime security and freedom of navigation had become urgent global concerns, not merely regional ones. Disruptions to shipping, he warned, can threaten energy supplies, raise prices, and worsen inflation.

Mitsotakis argued that states and non-state actors can use relatively inexpensive unmanned technologies to threaten commercial shipping and naval forces. He called for closer cooperation among like-minded countries, including information-sharing, the use of AI to improve maritime awareness, and protection of undersea cables. He also called for a global maritime truce and for upholding freedom of navigation, international law, and the safety of commercial shipping.

He pointed to threats in the Red Sea and around Ukraine, noting the sinking of a Greek ship and the importance of Ukrainian grain exports.

Mitsotakis presented Greece as a bridge between Europe and the Gulf and urged more European countries to engage in regional security. Greece participates in the EU’s Aspides naval operation, but he said broader European participation would demonstrate commitment to Gulf partners and protect shared trade and energy interests. The event’s introduction also highlighted Greece’s Patriot deployment to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain’s maritime-security efforts, including its focus on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

On economic ties, Mitsotakis described Greece’s recovery as a European success story, citing fiscal discipline, growth above the EU average, and increased investment, including from Gulf countries. He promoted Greece’s role in regional connectivity initiatives such as IMEC and discussed energy and data links involving Greece, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Egypt. He also encouraged greater Gulf investment and cooperation with Greek firms.

Mitsotakis said Greece sees potential for greater defense-industry cooperation with Gulf states, particularly in unmanned and decentralized systems. He cited Greece’s defense spending and ongoing military modernization, while noting that changes in the character of warfare create opportunities for new technologies and companies.

On the Eastern Mediterranean, he rejected the Libya–Turkey maritime agreement as invalid, arguing that it disregards the maritime rights of Greek islands. He called for maritime boundaries to be resolved according to international law and said connectivity projects should not be used as geopolitical leverage or held hostage to unresolved disputes.

Presenters and contributors

• Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece
• IISS host and moderator — not identified by name in the subtitles