News Agencies – The United Arab Emirates sent four F-16 fighter jets to be stationed at an air base on the Greek island of Crete for joint training with Greece’s air force, Greek officials said on Friday.
The F-16 jets will be stationed at Souda Bay air base and will participate in joint military exercises with the Greek armed forces in the eastern Mediterranean region next week.
The UAE’s authorities have not commented on the matter yet.
Earlier UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash welcomed the Athens-Cairo agreement defining their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) in the eastern Mediterranean.
“The signing of the maritime border demarcation agreement between Egypt and Greece is a victory for international law over the law of the jungle”, Gargash tweeted.
It is expected that over the next several days, all the necessary support personnel and materiel for the jets will arrive at Souda Bay.
The move to deliver the F-16s to Souda follows talks between senior Greek and UAE military and government officials.
