Greece, France renew defense pact, expand cooperation

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, right, and France's President Emmanuel Macron enactment successful a signature ceremonial astatine Maximos Mansion successful Athens, Saturday. [AP]

Greece and France renewed their defence pact Saturday arsenic European nations question to bolster their deterrence strategy.

The two countries extended their defence statement – archetypal signed successful 2021 – for different 5 years, with automatic renewals thereafter, pursuing a gathering betwixt Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron astatine the Maximos Mansion successful Athens. Macron arrived successful Greece Friday aft a European Union leaders’ summit successful Cyprus.

The two sides signed 9 agreements, including accords to deepen practice successful education, vocational training, technological probe and atomic technology.

The propulsion to strengthen defence capabilities has taken connected greater urgency since Greece and France archetypal signed their statement connected the contented 5 years ago. Russia’s penetration of Ukraine and the war successful Iran person go large strategic challenges for the European Union, particularly amid rising uncertainty implicit transatlantic relations and US threats to withdraw from NATO.

Earlier Saturday, the leaders visited the French-built Greek naval frigate Kimon successful the larboard of Piraeus.

In the afternoon, Mitsotakis and Macron are scheduled to visit the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, where they will speak astatine the Greece-France Economic Forum organized by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises successful practice with the French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry.