Greece, France To Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation On Security - Authorities

Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian in Athens on Friday where they discussed strengthening the bilateral relations with the focus on security and economy in the framework of the Strategic Partnership Agreement, the Greek Prime Minister's office said on Friday

ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2021) Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian in Athens on Friday where they discussed strengthening the bilateral relations with the focus on security and economy in the framework of the Strategic Partnership Agreement, the Greek Prime Minister's office said on Friday.

"Pathways on strengthening the bilateral relations on multiple levels with the focus on security and economy in the framework of Greece-France Strategic Partnership Agreement were discussed", the statement read.

Le Drian is currently in Greece taking part in the quadrilateral meeting in the format of 3+1 with Egypt and Cyprus as other counterparts to discuss regional and international issues.

During the meeting, Mitsotakis noted that Strategic Partnership Agreement took the bilateral relations of two states to a historically high level.

Moreover, during the meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, both parties criticized European states supplying arms to states threatening other countries with force.

According to Dendias, Greece would like other European states to follow the French lead in not supplying hostile states with weapons, threatening other countries (especially EU) with force and destabilizing the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Dendias noted that while Greece receives defense weaponry from France, it contributes to regional security, and the Greece-France Strategic Partnership Agreement does not threaten any state and is not directed against specific states.

On September 28, Greece and France signed a bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreement. Under the agreement, Greece purchased three French Belharra frigates with the option to buy one more in the future. In addition, Greece and France agreed that Greece will buy 24 French Rafale fighter jets.