Alexandros Diakopoulos

Alexandros Diakopoulos is a seaman, as well as a Helicopter Pilot and Instructor. He was born in Athens on October 11, 1962. He entered the Naval Academy in 1980 and graduated in 1984.

He has served in various positions in Naval Units and Headquarters of the Hellenic Navy as Staff Officer, Head of Department and Director of several Directorates in Hellenic Navy Helicopter Command (HNHC), Fleet Command and Hellenic Navy General Staff.

Additionally, he has served as Naval Attaché of Greece in Ankara (TURKEY) and as “spokesperson for the Navy” (Public Information Officer) in the Chief’s of the Navy, Bureau. His Command posts include the posts of Commanding Officer of MSC AIDON (M-248), and HS PROMITHEUS (A-374), as well as Commanding Officer of Hellenic Navy Helicopter Pilot School (HNHPS) and of the Hellenic Navy Helicopter Command (HNHC).

Upon promotion to the rank of Commodore he was posted as Director of International Affairs Branch in the Hellenic National Defence General Staff. In 2014 he was assigned by the Minister of Defence, as Alternate General Director of National Defence Policy and International Relations Directorate at the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence.

Following his promotion to Rear Admiral in 2015, he was assigned Commander of Naval Training and Education. In September 2016, while taking on his duties as Commander of Naval Training, he was also assigned as Superintendent of Hellenic Naval Academy.

Following his promotion to Vice Admiral in January 2017, he was assigned as Commandant of National Defense College. On February 8th 2019 he retired holding the title of Emeritus Commandant of the National Defense College.

In addition to the various Vocational Career Schools and the Naval War School he has studied at the Collège interarmées de Défense in the École Militaire in Paris and holds a Master’s Degree in Defense, Geostrategy and Geoeconomics (DESS: Diplome d’ Etudes Superieures Specialisees en Défense, Géostratégie et Dynamiques Industrielles) from the Paris II Panthéon-Assas and a Master in Public Administration (MC / MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School (John F. Kennedy School of Government).

On August 1, 2019, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the creation of the position of National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister and appointed him to this position. He resigned on August 19, 2020. On May 7, 2021, he was appointed as General Director for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position he currently holds.

He frequently writes articles in the daily press on subjects of International Relations, Defense and Foreign Policy. He speaks French and English.