The Mutual Defense and Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) between Greece and the United States is submitted to Parliament for ratification on Thursday, with a final vote expected on May 12.
The bill extends the current agreement for another five years and specifies the bases where the US military will operate and train (Volos, Alexandroupolis, Lichoro and Souda Bay).
The submitted bill, which primarily concerns the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, affects the whole of Greece, as the agreement aims to ensure security and prosperity on a bilateral level between the two countries.
The bill, as stated in the accompanying text, “aims to reaffirm the commitment to deepening defensive and strategic cooperation between the two countries, as well as establishing their mutual commitment to the principles of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, justice and social progress” with the help of foreign military.
The bill is accompanied by a letter from U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken dated October 2021, in which, among other things, he states that the revised MDCA expands the strategic partnership between Greece and the United States, and proves the ongoing commitment of both countries to the mutual defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity from peace-disrupting threats including armed attack or such threats.
The bill is expected to be debated on Tuesday by the standing parliamentary committee on national defense and foreign affairs, and two days later it will be put to a vote in the plenary session of parliament.
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