ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2022) The new amendments to the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) between the United States and Greece will make Athens a key partner of Washington in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday.
The Greek parliament is considering amendments to the MDCA stipulating the transfer of four military bases to the US in addition to another four bases already transferred, including the Yannouli Military Camp in Alexandroupolis, Souda Bay Naval Base in Crete, the firing range at Litohoro in Pieria, and the Georgoula Military Camp. The amended agreement is set for five years compared to one year in the current version. However, the Greek opposition said that the agreement is likely to become indefinite and violates the sovereign rights of Greece.
Mitsotakis said that the amended agreement captures the new reality, which includes two crucial elements.
"First of all, America is expanding its presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, acknowledging not only geostrategic but energy interests as well. Second of all, our country is obviously becoming the key partner of the US in the broader region. This event is of even greater significance, even greater magnitude taking into account the volatile situation with a 'hot' war mounting on the European continent and a growing global energy upheaval," Mitsotakis argued in the parliament.
Mitsotakis added that Greece is moving "to the frontline of world events," referring to the invitation to visit the White House and speak with US President Joe Biden next Monday. He added that he will be the first prime minister of Greece to address a joint session of the US Congress.
The prime minister also said that the new military agreement with the US is of strategic importance and will be long-term, with the option to be renewed every five years with the right of each side to terminate it should the necessity arise.
"This means that when the United States pivots to the Indo-Pacific region, it decides to enhance its presence in Greece at the same time, meanwhile modernizing facilities and improving military infrastructure at the expense of its own budget," Mitsotakis said.
At the same time, Alexis Tsipras, the leader of the Greek opposition party SYRIZA, told the parliament debate that the Greek government is trying to obscure the fact that the agreement is indefinite, and said that the renewed deal is not in the interest of Greece. He stressed that the text of the deal stipulates that it will become a treaty of unlimited duration in five years until any of the parties decides to suspend it.
Dimitris Koutsoumpas, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Greece, joined Tsipras' skepticism over the agreement by saying that the deal turns the entire Greek territory into a foothold for the US and NATO military plans. He added that the government's argument that the increase in the number of bases will secure Greece's "borders against Turkey's aggression" is untenable. He called the agreement "a very, very aggressive one" rather than defensive, and said that it is "historically dangerous for the people" and "historically damaging to the sovereign rights of the country."
The Greek Solution right-wing party and the left-wing MeRA25 also opposed the agreement, while the New Democracy and the Movement for Change are intending to vote in favor of the amended deal.
Later on Thursday, the Greek parliament adopted the amendments to the MDCA between Greece and the US in a 181-to-119 vote. The New Democracy and the Movement for Change supported the amendments as expected, while the SYRIZA party, the Communist Party of Greece, the Greek Solution, and MeRA25 voted against.
