The importance of Greek-British defense cooperation
A lot appears to have taken place on the front of Greek-British relations over the past two weeks. Two important trips, one by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to London and another by the UK’s parliamentary undersecretary of state for Europe, Leo Docherty, to Athens, mark the continued progress over the UK-Greece Strategic Bilateral Framework, almost a year after its signing. The Greek prime minister’s trip was not without news: Shortly after his visit it was uncovered that some sort of negotiation is going on between the Greek government and the Trustees of the British Museum regarding the potential “reunification” (not the “return,” as the prime minister underlines) of the Parthenon Marbles. Furthermore, the new British sovereign, Charles III, met the Greek prime minister at Windsor Castle to discuss, inter alia, the progress of the restoration of the Tatoi Estate – once the summer palace of Greece’s former royal family north of Athens – a topic in which the king takes particular interest. The trip of the prime minister was followed by an official visit of the parliamentary undersecretary in charge of European affairs at the Foreign Office, Leo Docherty, to Athens, where he held a series of fruitful meetings with members of the Greek government and discussed issues related to the economy, education, shipping and immigration; these are all areas in which the two countries already work closely together.
Docherty’s visit was also followed by important news. Particular emphasis must be placed on the subject of bilateral defense cooperation. In an interview with Kathimerini, the parliamentary undersecretary of state announced that a formal declaration of defense cooperation will soon be signed between the two countries – a development made urgent by the events of the war in Ukraine, as he stated. In addition to that, it was mentioned that the two countries will cooperate more closely on defense training and insight exchange. Although it remains to be seen what exactly the form of this declaration will be, it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. The strong presence and influence of the United Kingdom, and particularly its Royal Navy, in the Mediterranean cannot be easily overlooked or underappreciated – not to mention the UK’s critical role in the ongoing Cyprus talks. Furthermore, following Brexit, it is imperative that an understanding is reached between Greece and this important player in the region. After all, the steps already adopted by Greece in NATO are much in accordance with the British initiatives and overall approach to the war in Ukraine. This is a fascinating new aspect of the post-Brexit bilateral relations, ties that until now have largely focused on education, culture, tourism and immigration.
After the signing of a defense pact with France last year, it appears that Greek diplomacy is seeking to expand strategic alliances in the Eastern Mediterranean, building significant momentum. In this context, cooperating closer with the United Kingdom in NATO and on a bilateral level is of added importance.
Overall, it appears that there has been significant progress in the advancement of the goals mentioned in the Strategic Framework. It remains to be seen if a meeting between Prime Minister Mitsotakis and his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, will take place soon and whether a future invitation may be extended to the new monarch for a state visit to the country of some of his ancestors.
Ioannes Chountis is a parliamentary adviser at the UK House of Lords and PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen.
