Greece pins high hopes on strategic cooperation with France as Macron, Mitsotakis meet

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed France's planned strategic partnership with Greece in the crucial areas of defence, energy, and business and the two countries' "common vision" after talks with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Paris.

"France supports Greece and Cyprus as regards respect for their sovereign rights and condemns Turkey's provocations on this score. We reiterate our concerns. We clearly condemn the Turkey-Libya agreement [delimiting their putative EEZs]," Macron declared.

Joint military exercises, French frigates

Macron also announced an agreement between the French and Greek defence ministries. "We are talking about an industrial cooperation and joint exercises at sea and on land. We would also like other bordering countries to be involved."

Greece has long been negotiating the purchase of two French Bellh@ra intermediate-size frigates and a declaration of intent has been signed, although there are outstanding issues of price and payment schedule as Greece remains in financial dire straits as well as  delivery time, as the Greek Navy must cover  immediate needs and the first ultra-modern frigate is expected to be delivered to the French Navy in 2023.

Backdrop of Turkish threats.

The meeting was held amidst heightened threats against Athens from Turkey and Macron declared France's full support for Greece's sovereign rights at sea and on land, and in particular in the Turkish-Libyan expropriation of a large swathe of Greece's EEZ around Crete in an MOU which both Greece and France view as a blatant violation of international law.

Though strong international players such as the US and the EU have criticised the MOU it is clear that only France has begun to offer...