France, Greece boost military ties with new five-year pact

France and Greece have renewed their bilateral defence pact, reinforcing their strategic alliance at a time when European nations are seeking to strengthen deterrence capabilities, as per Bloomberg.

The two countries agreed to extend their defence agreement — originally signed in 2021 — for an additional five years, with provisions for automatic renewal thereafter. Alongside the extension, both governments signed a series of agreements aimed at deepening cooperation in areas including foreign policy, as well as a joint declaration of intent to establish collaboration in nuclear technology.

“The Franco-Greek relationship is the live illustration of the Europeans’ need to buy more European, to produce more European, to innovate more European,” said Emmanuel Macron following a meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Saturday.

Mitsotakis noted that the original defence pact, signed five years ago, predated the major geopolitical realignments seen in recent years and described it as “a precursor to the broader need for strategic autonomy for our continent as a whole.”

The importance of strengthening defence capabilities has grown significantly amid evolving global tensions. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war in Iran have emerged as major challenges for the European Union, particularly in the context of increasing uncertainty surrounding transatlantic relations and warnings from the United States about the possibility of withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

In addition to defence cooperation, the two sides agreed on a missile refurbishment contract involving MBDA and signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint development of seven wind energy projects in central Greece.

By Tamilla Hasanova