Ο Υπουργός Άμυνας της Ελλάδας, Νίκος Δένδιας, ο Υπουργός Άμυνας της Αλβανίας Ermal Nufi, ο Υπουργός Άμυνας της Ιταλίας, Guido Crosetto, ο Υπουργός Άμυνας της Κροατίας, Ivan Anusic, ο Υπουργός Άμυνας του Μαυροβουνίου, Dragan Krapovic και ο Υπουργός Άμυνας της Σλοβενίας, Valentin Hajdinjak, υιοθέτησαν χθες (Δευτέρα 5 Οκτωβρίου 2026) Κοινή Δήλωση, κατά τη Σύνοδο των Υπουργών Άμυνας της Πρωτοβουλίας Αδριατικής – Ιονίου (ADRION Initiative) στη Βενετία.
Ακολουθεί το κείμενο στην αγγλική γλώσσα:
«We, the Ministers of Defence of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (ADRION) participating countries, gathered on board Italian Navy Ship Amerigo Vespucci in Venice on the 5th of October 2026 on the occasion of the ADRION Defence Ministerial Meeting: H.E. Mr. Ermal Nufi, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Albania; H.E. Mr. Ivan Anušić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Republic of Croatia; H.E. Mr. Nikolaos Dendias, Minister of National Defence of the Hellenic Republic; H.E. Mr. Guido Crosetto, Minister of Defence of the Italian Republic (Chair); H.E. Mr. Dragan Krapović, Minister of Defence of Montenegro; H.E. Mr. Valentin Hajdinjak, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia.
➢ Today, we have carried forward the well-established path of cooperation developed over time through ADRION. Over the years, this initiative has strengthened dialogue and cooperation among our countries and, today, in the face of a profoundly transformed security environment, it can express its strategic and operational value even more fully.
➢ ADRION is founded on a reality made evident by geography. The Adriatic and Ionian Seas form an integral part of, and a strategic link between, the Mediterranean, continental Europe and the Euro-Atlantic area. In a context in which conventional, hybrid and highly technological threats are increasingly interconnected, geographical proximity must translate into closer cooperation, through stronger coordination, more effective information-sharing and, above all, an enhanced ability to act together. The positive results achieved by ADRION demonstrate the value of long-standing cooperation among the participating States, founded on the principles of good-neighbourly relations and full respect for sovereign rights and jurisdiction, in accordance with international law and, in particular, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
➢ In this perspective, and within the framework of a common commitment to be pursued primarily within NATO, as well as the EU, considering that the security and stability of the Western Balkans are inseparable from the security of the Adriatic-Ionian area and Europe as a whole, and reaffirming our commitment to the stability, resilience and European and EuroAtlantic perspective of the region, we take note of the vision of a European Defence Initiative in its continental dimension (Continental European Defence Initiative, CEDI), conceived as a voluntary, intergovernmental political-strategic forum dedicated to consultation, coordination and the exploration of concrete forms of cooperation in the field of security and defence of the European continent. It would be fully complementary to NATO and based on integration with the instruments and mechanisms already existing within NATO and the EU. The security of our continent requires a vision capable of engaging all like-minded European continental countries, which share and implement our democratic values, united by the determination to make a tangible contribution to our common security. In line with these principles, EU Security and Defence Partnerships could also be explored as a means of further strengthening cooperation with all non-EU European countries.
➢ Within this vision, we also take note of the possibility of exploring new forms of cooperation, including through a Defence Shield, conceived as a continental security and defence infrastructure: an integrated, multi-layered network linking space, land and maritime capabilities within a single operational architecture resilient to cyber threats. Within ADRION, this approach could also be extended to other strategic areas of common interest, beginning with the protection of critical infrastructure and underwater security, military mobility and countering hybrid threats. Connecting and making the fullest possible use of individual countries’ capabilities means strengthening the capabilities of all, turning interoperability into a multiplier of our collective effectiveness. In exploring such possibilities, full use should be made of the cooperation frameworks already existing within the EU and NATO. To this end, we underline the need to strengthen our collective resilience against hybrid and cyber threats, disinformation and other forms of hostile interference aimed at undermining our security, democratic institutions and the resilience of our societies.
➢ ADRION represents an established framework upon which to build this higher level of integration, while respecting the principle of flexibility, strengthening industrial and technological cooperation and accelerating innovation. Looking ahead, ADRION should increasingly develop into a strategic platform through which our countries assume greater responsibility for the security of the Adriatic-Ionian area and make a tangible contribution to the security of Europe and the Alliance. A key step will be to work towards common and standardised requirements, so that our countries’ capabilities are designed from the outset to be interoperable, interchangeable and interconnected.
➢ It is along this path that we intend to continue developing ADRION. A regular dialogue among Ministers of Defence is essential to provide political impetus, identify shared priorities as well as common threats, and steer cooperation towards concrete objectives, while at the same time strengthening our situational awareness, the timely exchange of information and our countries’ ability to respond effectively.
➢ The strength of ADRION lies in its ability to transform a shared geography into a common capacity to act. This is the contribution that, from the Adriatic-Ionian region, we intend to continue making to the security of the European continent and the Atlantic Alliance.
➢ Our common objective is clear: a secure and resilient Adriatic-Ionian region, a stable neighbourhood, a stronger European contribution to defence, and a stronger transatlantic Alliance”.
6.10.2026
