Germany, Greece to Boost Defence Cooperation

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (L) and Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis hold a joint press conference following their meeting | Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa

By Michael Fischer and Takis Tsafos, dpa

Berlin/Athens: Germany plans to “significantly” expand defence cooperation with Greece, including by boosting joint procurement, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said during a visit to Athens on Monday.

Greece is currently in the process of upgrading its armed forces, cooperating particularly closely with France, the United States and Israel.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron recently extended a strategic cooperation agreement dating from 2021 for another five years. The agreement also includes a French security guarantee for Greece, with Mitsotakis describing the move as a “historic day.”

In turn, Germany intends to focus on improving cooperation in maritime defence, with Wadephul due to visit the Skaramangas shipyard, the largest shipyard in the eastern Mediterranean. German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems recently reached an agreement with the facility to modernize four submarines.

Wadephul and his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis initially did not reveal further details on the plans, with Gerapetritis only signalling general interest in deeper cooperation.

In addition to national interests, common European interests must be kept in mind and the “autonomy of the European Union” must be strengthened, he said.

One thing that might be standing in the way of an agreement is Germany’s growing defence cooperation with Turkey, as tensions have been running high between Athens and Ankara in recent years over disputed gas fields and islands in the eastern Mediterranean.

In October, Berlin approved a multi-billion-euro deal for the delivery of 20 new Eurofighter jets to Turkey, following years of a partial arms export ban against the country.

Gerapetritis called on the German government to insist on certain conditions when concluding such deals. “What we consider to be the absolute minimum is ensuring that these systems are not used to the detriment of an allied country,” he said.

The talks also covered the Strait of Hormuz as well as EU enlargement, with six Western Balkan countries and Ukraine seeking membership.

Ahead of the trip, Wadephul said they must be offered “credible prospects” of accession, adding that Greece would assume a special role when it takes over the rotating EU Council presidency in the second half of 2027.