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Nikos Panagiotopoulos had a new telephone conversation tonight with the French Defense Minister, Florence Parley, in the context of the Turkish armaments and provocation in the Mediterranean.
The Pentagon had anticipated the new communication between Panagiotopoulos and Parli yesterday, however, information on the exact content is extremely scarce. It is recalled that on Thursday Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Emanuel Macron will meet in Corsica, where they will discuss Turkey’s position, on which they will inform the countries of the South (MED7), while also discussing armaments.
French media: The loan of two frigates in Greece is discussed
The French media publish information according to which Paris is willing to lend Greece two state-of-the-art Frem frigates built in 2019.
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According to SKAI, the frigates are in the final stages of testing and have state-of-the-art air defense systems, perform excellently in anti-submarine warfare, are very fast (up to 27 knots) and can carry systems that the Navy wants and has argued. and for the Bellara frigates.
Based on the same information, it is not ruled out that the two frigates are provided as an intermediate solution until Athens concludes the discussions on the frigates with which it will strengthen the Navy.
At the same time, the priorities of the Ministry of Defense include the upgrade and maintenance of the C-130 and C-27 transport aircraft, which have a key role in the Armed Forces for the transport of personnel and equipment to the islands.
What was talked about Rafale
The two ministers discussed the 18 Rafale aircraft that are of interest to Athens. The ratio of new to used has not yet been finalized. The defense assistance doctrine was also discussed, which provides for military support from one country to another in the event of military participation.
The two ministers also spoke about the aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle” and the possibility of conducting joint exercises when it is in our region, in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The announcement of the Ministry of Defense
The Minister of National Defense, Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, had a telephone conversation today, Tuesday, September 8, 2020, with the Minister of Defense of the French Republic, Mr. Florence Parly, with whom they discussed developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.
During the conversation between the two ministers, the strengthening of defense cooperation between the two countries and issues of weapons programs were discussed ”.
What the French media report on the France-Greece agreement
Paris’ intentions for arms cooperation with Greece are described on a French website that deals with military issues. According to meta-defense.fr, France is ready, as it seems, for important concessions towards our country. The country appears to be giving away 8 Rafale fighter jets to the Greek Air Force, in addition to the 20 that Greece is expected to buy.
Furthermore, according to the same publication, France seems to be willing to allow the construction of French FDI frigates in Greek shipyards, provided that Greece orders 4 warships of this type.
Finally, it appears that it is possible to borrow or rent two state-of-the-art frigates, the “Alza” and the “Loren”, until the new frigates that will strengthen the Greek Navy are built. According to the article, in addition to French President Emanuel Macron’s willingness to strengthen Greece and Cyprus on the defensive, this measure will help to highlight the doctrine of the presidential palace for a Europe with a strong and independent defense.
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