Defense Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Tuesday. Press reports in Athens said that Panetta will attempt to conclude an agreement for Greece to accept 400 tanks from the US. More precisely, Washington has offered Athens the opportunity to buy the used M1A1 Abrams tanks but the deal did not take into consideration the costs of transportation, which could run to 10 million euros, and these need to be ironed out.
The Greek government is hoping that local shipowners are going to help cover the cost but, according to sources, Avramopoulos wants to find out if the US is willing to assist as well. The Greek defense minister is also expected to ask Panetta if the US has any interest in buying army uniforms from Greece based on the latest models, which have been digitally designed by Greek manufacturers.