Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias welcomed the U.S. Coast Guard’s Europe Area Commander, Captain Mark Neeland, at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, on Thursday, Dec. 18.

Following the meeting, Kikilias said the talks reaffirmed the “strong and continuously upgraded cooperation in the field of maritime security.” In a social media post, he highlighted the daily efforts of the men and women of the Hellenic Coast Guard to safeguard Greece’s maritime borders, which also constitute external borders of the European Union and span tens of thousands of nautical miles of coastline.

He stressed that Greece remains on the frontline of tackling irregular migration and has long borne a significant share of increased migratory flows. Noting that the United States faces similar challenges, Kikilias underlined the importance of close cooperation in this area.

“Our primary goal is the safety of all citizens,” he said, adding that through the AEGIS II program Greece is moving forward with equipping the Hellenic Coast Guard with a high-specification operational coordination center and state-of-the-art surveillance systems.