The Greece frigate sales contract has just been signed, announces Paris after an American offer

The agreement for the sale of three French frigates in Greece "has just been signed", announced on Saturday the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, deeming obsolete the competing offer presented by the United States.“Since we have been in discussion with the Greeks, the American offer is no longer on the table (..) Besides, we signed the contract with the Greeks.It was initialed a few days ago, "the AFP Ministry told AFP.

This Saturday, Athens also confirmed the continuation of the contract with France.A source in the Greek defense ministry told AFP that "the Greco-French agreement is in force and will be prosecuted.This was done at the highest level possible.The Greek Prime Minister announced him himself ".According to information from Figaro, Kyriákos Mitsotákis, sent an SMS on Sunday to Sunday to Emmanuel Macron to reassure him.

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The United States gave their green light on Friday to a possible sale of four frigates in Greece, letting fear new tensions with Paris after the Franco-American crisis around a mega-cure for submarines in Australia.The State Department announced in a press release that it has pre-approved a sales project in Athens of four combat frigates and their equipment, worth $ 6.9 billion.

This announcement occurred less than three months after the conclusion of the Aukus security partnership between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom which had torpedoed the French submarine contract in Canberra.It also follows the conclusion of a frigate agreement of some 3 billion euros between France and Greece.

Paris claims to have been informed by Washington

Paris assured that it was informed this time of the American announcement and put it into perspective."The Americans had warned us that this announcement was going to come out," said the Ministry of the Armed Forces."They wrote to us, told us 'as our good relationships, following the Aukus problem, we warn you'"."There is no inclination (from them) to go further," said the same source in Paris."What happened there is just the rest of an (supply) administrative process that it was apparently complicated for them to stop from an administrative point of view," added theministry.

The United States has also approved the modernization of the Greek meko class frigates, for an amount valued at 2.5 billion dollars.The State Department specifies that the contract, in both cases, "will be granted to the winner of an international call for tenders" relating to the modernization of the Greek navy.

For its part, the Greek government continues to repeat at no time the contract passed with France has been threatened, and that in this regard any comparison with the Aukus affair is zero is not avenue.In Athens, we can also understand the media excitement aroused in France by the announcement of the American offer.

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According to the Franco-Greek agreement, announced with great fanfare on September 28 in Paris, three defense and intervention frigates (baptized Belharra for export) must be built in France by Naval Group, in Lorient (West), forbe delivered to the Greek navy in 2025 and 2026.The prior agreement also relates to an optional fourth frigate.

In September, the United States had announced a security partnership in the Indo-Pacific Zone with Australia and the United Kingdom, including the delivery of nuclear propulsion submarines to Canberra.Australia had therefore broken a gigantic contract signed with France for the delivery of conventional submarines, causing the anger of Paris.France had recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia, and Joe Biden had admitted that the United States could have communicated better with its long-standing ally.

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At the end of October in Rome, the American president tried to turn the page during a reconciliation meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.The two heads of state had announced their intention to launch "a strategic dialogue in terms of military trade", in particular on export authorizations.