Diplomatic bravado: Dendias attempts to block the sale of Meteor from Britain to Turkey.
Nikos Dendias appears to be moving on the diplomatic chessboard, trying to influence developments surrounding the possible sale of Meteors from the United Kingdom to Turkey.
The meeting that the Minister of National Defense had (21/2) with the United Kingdom’s National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell is clearly a step in this direction, as Greece seeks to prevent the reinforcement of the Turkish air force.
“I met today in London with the National Security Advisor of the United Kingdom Jonathan Powell. We discussed the security situation in the wider Southeastern Mediterranean region, as well as other international and regional security challenges” said Minister of Defense Dendias.
Whether Dendias will succeed depends on many factors. The British have strategic interests and trade relations with Turkey, especially after Brexit, which makes them more flexible in defense equipment sales.
The Meteor missile was developed and manufactured by a consortium led by the United Kingdom and involving France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Spain, and its export requires the approval of all participating countries. Recently, France stated that it would not oppose a potential sale of Meteor missiles to Turkey, noting that it is a British export .
Turkey is seeking the supply of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the United Kingdom, with the integration of Meteor missiles being a significant part of the deal. The Greek government has expressed its opposition to this potential sale, with the Minister of National Defense requesting explanations from the French ambassador to Greece on the matter and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis raising the issue in his talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
On February 24, the Minister of National Defense will meet with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, and the Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle.
On the same day, Nikos Dendias will meet with the Chairman of the Defence Committee of the House of Commons Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and members of the Committee
The Greek Ministry of National Defense states that “the aforementioned meetings will include discussions on matters concerning the enhancement of the bilateral defence cooperation between Greece and the United Kingdom and the cooperation between the two states in the areas of defence innovation and technology, as well as regional and international security matters.”