Greece to take delivery of French Rafale jets in 2021
Greece on Tuesday said it will take delivery of 18
French-made Rafale fighter jets next year, as part of a major drive to
modernize its armed forces amid tension with neighbor Turkey.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the
agreements would be finalized with the French government and defense contractor
in the coming days, announcing the news in parliament ahead of a vote on the
2021 budget.
Annual spending in defense is being hiked by more
than a third in 2021 to 5.4 billion euros ($6.56 billion) despite a steep
recession triggered by the pandemic this year.
Greece and fellow NATO member Turkey remain at odds
over boundaries and undersea natural gas rights in the eastern Mediterranean, a
dispute that intensified this year and raised concerns among western allies of
a potential military confrontation.
