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Greece plans to purchase arms, enhance its armed forces and revamp its defence business, the federal government’s spokesman stated on Monday, as tensions with NATO ally Turkey over vitality sources within the japanese Mediterranean develop.
Greece, which emerged from its third worldwide bailout in 2018 and has been struggling with the financial influence of the coronavirus disaster, needs to spend a part of its multi-billion euro money reserves on its defence sector.
“We are in talks with allies to boost our armed forces,” authorities spokesman Stelios Petsas instructed reporters, including that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will define his plans throughout an annual financial coverage speech on Saturday.
A Greek authorities official instructed Reuters final week that Greece is in talks with France and different nations over the acquisition of fighter jets. Greece has additionally been making an attempt for greater than a decade to consolidate and privatise its loss-making defence firms.
Mitsotakis will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Corsica on Thursday, earlier than a Southern European leaders summit (MED7) on the French island of Corsica. The two leaders are anticipated to focus on the European Union’s strained relationship with Turkey, Macron’s workplace stated.
Petas stated that cooperation within the defence sector between the 2 nations may also be on the agenda.
Turkey and Greece have lengthy disagreed over the extent of their continental cabinets. Tensions rose final month after Ankara despatched an exploration vessel into disputed waters, accompanied by warships, days after Greece signed a maritime deal with Egypt.
Ankara has since been extending the vessel’s work within the wider area, issuing advisories which Athens calls unlawful.
The Greek conservative chief mentioned the most recent twists within the row with European Council President Charles Michel, who chairs summits of EU leaders, throughout a cellphone name on Monday.
Michel will go to Athens on September 15, Petsas stated.
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