Greece, UAE commit to mutual defense assistance

The mutual defense assistance clause, activated in the event that one of the two countries' territorial integrity is threatened, is probably the most important part of the defense and foreign policy cooperation agreement signed by Greece and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week, according to sources with inside information.

The sources say that the clause has a clearly defensive orientation and is the optimal agreement between two countries that have no common borders and do not belong to common alliances.

Even though the agreement explicitly states that it does not concern specific third countries, both parties understand that it was signed to counteract Turkey's attempts to destabilize the wider Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region.

As part of the agreement, UAE technical staff will be trained by the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAV).