March 8 (Reuters) - Greece hopes to wrap up talks and sign a deal for the purchase of Bergamini class frigates from Italy by April, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said in an interview released on Sunday.
High-ranking officials from Greece and Italy last year signed memorandums for naval cooperation, opening the way for the acquisition of two FREMM frigates by Athens with an option for two more.
“We hope that negotiations with Italy will be concluded and that we will have signed (a deal) for the acquisition of 2+2 frigates by April,” Dendias told a Greek newspaper.
Dendias said Athens was working to ensure the frigates could also carry the new-generation ELSA missile.
Greece plans to spend about 28 billion euros as part of a multi-year defence plan that includes the purchase of a fourth Belharra frigate from France and new submarines as it tries to keep up with historic rival Turkey.
(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou, Editing by Louise Heavens)
