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Greece wants deeper ties with both Israel and Arab countries, premier says
Mitsotakis said Greece will keep expanding defense cooperation with Israel while seeking closer ties with Saudi Arabia and Egypt amid tensions with Turkey.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that Greece will maintain strategic defense cooperation with Israel while seeking deeper relations with other Middle East states.
Signed on Aug. 31, the $3.5 billion deal for Israel to build an air defense shield in Greece strengthens ties fostered by shared concerns about Turkey.
Facing tensions over the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, Greece spends at least 3.5% of its GDP on core defense and expects delivery of 20 F-35s in late 2028.
Mitsotakis will visit Cairo on Tuesday for talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi, and he also plans to visit Saudi Arabia soon.
Despite the recently concluded Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, Greece's relations with Riyadh remain unchanged; Greek Patriot missiles have been used four times since July to intercept drones and missiles allegedly from Yemen.