Defence minister Dimitris Avramopoulos on Thursday assured visiting NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen that Greece's financial woes have not affected the country's defence system.

Avramopoulos met on Thursday with Rasmussen, who is in Athens to mark the 60th anniversary of Greece's NATO membership, and discussed the Greek presence in NATO, the Alliance's new role ahead of a Summit in May, the proposal for optimisation of the member states' defence capabilities in the midst of the global economic crisis that limits the national budgets, Greece's relations with its neighouring countries -- including Turkey -- the Cyprus issue, the NATO anti-missile shield, and Russia-NATO relations.

Avramopoulos assured the NATO chief that Greece's severe economic and fiscal problems have in now way disrupted Greece's defence system, while also reminding that Greece continues to be an important factor of security, cooperation and understanding in the wider region.

On NATO-Russia relations, Avramopoulos reiterated that Greece supports this relation in the context of the strategic partnership principles.

Rasmussen noted that Greece is one of the longest-standing NATO members and a pillar of the collective security, while he also praised the country's contribution to NATO stability-oriented operations from Afghanistan to Kosovo, and also for protection of the unarmed population in Libya.

He also spoke of difficult economic conditions and the need for NATO to make tough choices, expressing certainty that the Alliance, as a "family that helps each other", will emerge stronger from the crisis, that that this will be reaffirmed at the Summit.