A Major Warship Deal Between Greece And France Is Expected To Be Announced Soon
A major warship deal between Greece and France is expected to be announced soon
According to Greek state television, the leaders of Greece and France are expected to announce a major multibillion-euro deal in Paris on Tuesday, involving the acquisition by Greece of at least six French-built warships.
According to ERT, Greece intends to purchase three French FDI frigates — with the option of purchasing a fourth in the future — as well as three corvettes in the near future.
The country of Greece has already purchased 18 Rafale fighter jets from France, and it plans to purchase another six as part of a modernization program to strengthen its armed forces in the face of rising tensions with its neighbor Turkey.
In an interview with ERT, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that "we are heading towards a substantive deepening of the strategic cooperation between Greece and France." Mitsotakis was in Paris on Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
On the reported warship deal, which Greek media have estimated to be worth approximately 5 billion euros ($5.8 million), he declined to comment, instead simply saying that announcements would be made the following day.
In addition, Mitsotakis stated, "I have no intention of engaging in an arms race with Turkey." "However, there are significant challenges in modernizing our military following a decade of (economic) crisis."
Tensions with Turkey, a long-time regional rival, have risen in recent years over gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and in the waters between the two countries' respective territorial waters. Greece had announced plans to upgrade its fleet, and was in talks with countries such as France, the United States, and the United Kingdom about possible frigate purchases.
According to Greek media, the agreement between Mitsotakis and Macron, which is expected to be announced on Tuesday at the Elysee Palace in Paris, is the result of an improved French offer. They linked the offer to France's loss of a $66 billion deal to sell diesel submarines to Australia earlier this month, which instead chose to purchase nuclear-powered submarines supplied by the United States as a result.
