Greece, France ink multi-billion-euro defence deal; Athens to buy three warships

Amid tensions over the AUKUS defence pact, France and Greece on Tuesday, 28 September, announced a multi-billion-euro military agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the defence and security strategic partnership in a joint news conference in Paris. According to AP, the deal, which has been hailed by the leaders of Greece and France as a bold first step towards deeper military cooperation includes Athens’ decision to buy three French warships. 

While speaking at the press briefing, Macron described the pact as part of a deeper “strategic partnership” between the two nations and said that Europeans must come off their “naivety”. The French President said, “When we are under pressure … showing that we also have power and the capacity to defend ourselves … is simply making ourselves be respected.” He added that the deal was not only a sign of confidence in French production but “an audacious first step towards European strategic autonomy”. 

“This partnership expresses our will to increase and intensify our cooperation in the defence and security sector based on our mutual interests,” Macron said.

He added, “It will help protect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of both states."

Under the terms of the deal, Greece will now purchase three French frigates to be built by defence contractor Naval Group. The agreement also includes an option for the acquisition of a fourth frigate. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that Greece already has bought 18 French Rafale fighter jets and now under the deal, it plans to purchase another six in a bid to modernise its armed forces. 

In a press briefing, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the agreement between the two nations comes out of national motivation to shield the nation. He said that the deal also has a European motive as it strengthens the common defence industry. Further, Mitsotakis added that Greece and France are today taking the “bold first step” towards European strategic autonomy. 

He said that the deal is “paving the way towards a Europe that will be able to defend (its interests) in the wider region, in the eastern Mediterranean, in the Middle East.”

AUKUS row 

The latest announcement comes at a time when France lost a $66 billion deal to sell diesel-electric submarines to Australia, which instead chose to acquire US nuclear-powered submarines. The AUKUS defence alliance announced by Australia, UK and the US came as a shock to French officials, who accused Canberra of “betrayal”. France had openly expressed anger and recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had accused Australia and the US of lying over their new trilateral defence pact that forced Paris to cancel the Washington gala as well. 

(With inputs from AP)