A Greek-French naval exercise with high symbolism was held on Thursday at the sea region of eastern Mediterranean including the area that Turkey has reserved with an illegal NAVTEX.
The Joint Naval Exercise is in the context of the standing military cooperation between Greece and France, the Greek General Staff said in a statement.
Greek frigates Spetsai, Aegeon, Limnos and Kountouriotis participated in the exercise as well as a French task force fleet comprised by the French vessel Tonnere and the frigate Lafayette.
The exercise included progressive maneuvers, items of joint business planning, tactical image exchange, communications as well as aircraft cooperation and helped to raise the level of operational readiness, combat capability and cooperation of the participants in an allied context, the General Staff said.
Also, as part of the military cooperation between the two countries, two French RAFALE aircraft landed and used the facilities of the 115th Combat Wing in Souda for re-service.
Two French military aircraft Rafale landed and used the 115th Combat Wing in the naval base of Souda on the island of Crete.
The exercise took place a day after President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will increase its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean and called on Turkey to halt oil and gas exploration in disputed waters that has heightened tensions with Greece.
