ATHENS – Defence Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos in an interview with Skai TV on Sunday stressed Greece’s readiness to defend its national and sovereign rights.

On the occasion of Kathimerini’s report on a French ship south of Rhodes, east of Crete, the Minister of National Defence noted that France is a historic and strategic ally of Greece and is making its moves. He said that during his meeting with the French Defence Minister he had requested to know about France’s reaction to Turkish actions in the eastern Mediterranean and the next day France sent a frigate and a submarine to its area of interest.

Greece defends its national rights and this includes strengthening and deepening EU and NATO alliances as well as its alliances with countries in the region, he stressed.