With the title “outrageous confusion between Greece and France”, the French La Tribune refers to the issue of the lease of two FREMM frigates by the Armed Forces of Greece for five years, something that France’s Defense Minister Florence Parly did not confirm.
Deputy Minister of Defense Fotis Kouvelis said that following a telephone conversation by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras with French President Emmanuel Macron, it was agreed that two FREMM frigates would be leased by Greece.
This announcement came as a surprise to the French Ministry of Defense “Hotel de Brienne”. The French Minister of Armed Forces, Florence Parly, said that “there is no issue (…) though we are, of course, at the disposal our Greek friends to continue to work even more closely”.
In France, however, they state that no lease commitment has been made. In particular, because the French Navy does not seem to be able to lend two frigates to Greece. The French Navy, moreover, was planning to receive eighteen first class frigates, while it received just fifteen.
Source: balkaneu
