During French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Athens, France and Greece pledged to support each other in the event of security threats, strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of defence, according to Politico.
Paris and Athens signed nine bilateral agreements on Saturday, including the extension of a framework defence pact, which will be automatically renewed in five years once it expires.
Mutual Assistance Clause
“As part of this partnership, there is a clause of mutual support and assistance in the event of armed aggression,” Emmanuel Macron said during a joint press conference alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Mansion in Athens.
“Do not even question it; whatever happens, we will stand by you,” he added.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that France is Greece’s “true ally,” adding that the commitments of mutual assistance between Greece and France are the “strongest point” of the agreements between the two nations.
Broader Strategic Cooperation
In addition to signing the comprehensive strategic partnership, the two governments also concluded agreements in several other sectors, including education, research, and nuclear energy.
During the visit, the French defence company MBDA signed a contract to continue supporting the Greek Army’s MICA missile systems.
EU Defence Clause and NATO
Both leaders also stressed the need to clarify how the EU’s mutual defence clause — Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union — would function in practice, emphasising that it should not be seen as a substitute for Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
However, during the joint press conference with the Greek prime minister, Emmanuel Macron said that the EU defence clause is “stronger” than Article 5 of the NATO treaty. His remarks came in the context of previous proposals that France could assume a stronger role among Europe’s NATO allies after Donald Trump criticised allied support during the United States’ conflict with Iran.
Visit to the Greek Frigate
On Saturday morning, during the visit, the French president and the Greek prime minister toured a Greek frigate built by French shipbuilder Naval Group at the port of Piraeus.
The two leaders were accompanied by the French Minister of Defence and Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, and Pierre-Eric Pommelet.