Against the backdrop of tensions with neighboring Turkey, Greece decided last year to strengthen its military capacity by ordering 24 Rafale combat planes and three frigates from France, for a total amount of more than 5.5 billion euros. .

In the presence of the CEO of Naval Group, Pierre-Eric Pommellet, the French minister and her Greek counterpart Nikos Panagiotopoulos will first sign the contract for three frigates (baptized Belh@rra for export).

These will be built by Naval Group, in Lorient in western France, for delivery to the Greek Navy in 2025 and 2026. A fourth frigate is optional.

Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier also made the trip to sign a second contract for the delivery of six additional new Rafales.

The sale of 18 of these combat aircraft had already been signed last year, seven of which were delivered to Greece.

The signing of these contracts, which alone amount to more than three billion euros, comes as relations seem to be calming down between Greece and Turkey, which have promised to cooperate more in the face of the war in Ukraine. .

Greece and France had started to strengthen their military cooperation in the summer of 2020 to counter Turkish attempts to explore for gas in disputed areas of the eastern Mediterranean.

A French Air Force Rafale fighter jet patrols Polish airspace on March 4, 2022, as part of the NATO surveillance system Nicolas TUCAT AFP/Archives

Last September, the two countries concluded a "strategic partnership" in Paris, confirming their intention to strengthen European defence.

Ankara has repeatedly criticized the Franco-Greek agreement, saying it threatens "regional peace and stability".

But Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed in February to the Greek Parliament that the modernization of the Greek army aims to "strengthen the country's arsenal".

"Unexpected" Summit

However, an "unexpected" summit in Istanbul between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Greek Prime Minister "helped improve bilateral relations due to the war in Ukraine", former vice-president Christos Rozakis told AFP. of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Turkey and Greece are both members of the Atlantic Alliance and "NATO does not want tension on its eastern front", added this expert on Greek-Turkish relations.

The contracts for the frigates and the additional Rafales will be signed late Thursday afternoon on the eve of the Greek national holiday, on the battleship Averof, a museum ship symbol of Greek naval history, anchored at Phaleron, a seaside suburb of Athens.

The Greeks celebrate on March 25 the beginning of the War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire, in 1821, and for the occasion the French aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle stopped off the port of Piraeus.

The two ministers and the two business leaders will go there just after the signing on Thursday.

Rafales will take off on Friday from Charles-de-Gaulle, off Crete, to take part in the traditional military parade in Athens, which Florence Parly will attend for the second consecutive time.

© 2022 AFP