The assessment that the procedure for the renewal of the Mutual Defence Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) with the USA will be completed within the next two months, expressed the Minister of National Defence, Nikos Panagiotopoulos. Speaking at an online event of the think tank «Center for Strategic and International Studies» in Washington, Panagiotopoulos said that the aim of the new agreement is to further improve the defence cooperation between Athens and Washington, which is already at a historically high level.
According to the MoD, there are two main scenarios for the new agreement. The first is related to the expansion of the US presence in new locations, while the second has to do with further improving the existing infrastructure. However, Panagiotopoulos estimated that the most likely possibility is that there will be an upgrade of the already strategically selected locations that are currently in operation. In this context, he referred to Base of Souda, in port of Alexandroupolis in both air bases in Central Greece. Regarding the Gulf of Souda, the Minister of Defence noted that it offers the only port in the Eastern Mediterranean that has the capacity to accommodate an aircraft carrier.
Referring to the importance of this new agreement (MDCA), Panagiotopoulos noted that it consolidates the strategic relationship between Greece and the US. The Greek Minister stressed that this relationship is not just based on a certain circumstance or on the identification of interests, but the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and respect for international law, which the two countries stand for as stable and reliable allies in Europe and NATO.
Panagiotopoulos assessed that Greece has evolved into a reliable ally on which the US can rely to promote regional stability. In this light, he referred to the ambitious program that our country is implementing to modernize the Armed Forces. The specific programme, which is being carried out in the context of the constraints imposed by Greece's economic situation, includes, among other things, the purchase of fighters Rafale, the supply of four new frigates and the modernisation of four other existing frigates. As the Minister of Defence explained, Greece wishes to make a dynamic contribution to the collective security of NATO, but also to project a a strong deterrent against all those who threaten the sovereign rights of the.
