In a statement Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, Athens has been talking to Paris to boost defence ties. The development comes at a time when Greece is aiming to boost the capabilities of its armed forces.

In 2020, Greece finalising an agreement worth 2.5 billion euros to purchase 18 Rafale fighter jets; this month Greece said it will buy 6 more Rafale fighter planes from France.

Greece, a long-standing ally of France, is also likely to purchase new frigates from Paris.

When asked if Greece was close to a defence deal with France, Mitsotakis, who is in Paris, said, “There will be announcements tomorrow morning”.

He went on to add, “We’re heading towards a substantial deepening of our strategic cooperation between Greece and France”.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Mitsotakis are scheduled to make joint statements in Paris later today on Tuesday.

Incidentally, since many years, Greece has been embroiled in tensions with Turkey over a range of issues, including hydrocarbon resources in the Aegean Sea and the demilitarization of islands. Mitsotakis underscored Greece’s intent on not wanting to start an “armaments race” but said, it is important that Athens modernizes its armed forces.

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