The shipyards of the “Naval Group” in Lorient, France, where the frigates FDI HN “Belh @ rra” will be built, which will be supplied to the Navy, were visited yesterday by the Ministers of National Defense of Greece and France, Nikos Panagiotopoulos and Florence, all of Florence. of the informal meeting of EU Defense Ministers
“The negotiations for the supply and then support contracts were already completed last December and the next stages provided by the Greek legislation will follow, so that the contracts are signed as soon as possible. I wish and encourage you, in the framework of the frigate construction program, to seek cooperation with the companies of the Greek Defense Industry, a cooperation which is also provided for in the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Greece and France.
In addition, the process for the selection of new corvettes for the Navy is evolving, where the French corvette “Gowind” is a very strong candidate “, Mr. Panagotopoulos pointed out in his speech, among others.
“The defense and intervention frigate (s.s. FDI HN” Belh @ rra “) contains all the excellence of French industry. It will be a cutting-edge warship, especially in the digital sector, equipped to be able to deal with tomorrow’s conflicts.
In the coming weeks, the contract for the acquisition of three frigates from Greece will be signed. Greece’s trust honors us. “Thanks to this order, 2,200 jobs are secured in France over a five-year horizon,” Parley said.
“The acquisition of these frigates underlines the full support of France to Greece and the determination of our two countries to further strengthen our cooperation for stability and prosperity in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, further strengthens the strategic defense.” “Greece-France relationship, partners in the European Union and NATO, but also the transatlantic alliance while at the same time it is another bold step towards European strategic autonomy”, he observed.
“For France, for Greece, for all of Europe, the challenges for maritime safety are numerous. The sea is at once a place of freedom to be controlled, a place of trade to be kept safe, a stock of resources in need of protection and finally an unknown place to be explored further. Europe can and must meet the challenges of security to ensure its freedom. Maritime safety is one of the priorities of the strategic compass, the EU White Paper that we will have to adopt in the coming months. Under the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, we will also ensure that the update of the EU Maritime Safety Strategy, adopted in 2014, begins quickly.
We will continue to defend freedom of navigation in the very heart of Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea. A stable military presence is therefore required, which offers us the opportunity to interact frequently with the Greek armed forces. I emphasize at this point the excellent multilateral cooperation and the participation of Greece in the operation “Peace”.
The strategic partnership between Greece and France is a major advantage for building a stronger European defense. “In addition, it helps in the dialogue and in the achievement of regional stability in the Mediterranean, which is a central area for the security of the European continent and is currently being tested by increasing tensions”, Ms. Parley pointed out.
The supply of Belharra frigates complements the recent supply of eighteen Rafale aircraft and the forthcoming supply of six more, turning the page for the Greek Armed Forces, which are thus entering a new era, imposed by the times and the threats and challenges facing our country today. “The first six” Rafale “are going to land in the coming days at Tanagra air base,” he repeated.
The Minister of National Defense wished France his success in the goals and aspirations of the French Presidency, especially for the European Defense and Security of the European Union and the Member States, further commenting that “European security imposes more than ever, like France take the lead in this area “.
The national defense ministers of the two countries were given a tour of the shipyards and informed about their activities and capabilities by the president and CEO of the group, Pierre Éric Pommellet.
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