Greece to sell four Elli class frigates to Pakistan

Greece will provide four frigates to the Pakistan Navy, two of which will be delivered this year, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said.

Aziz, visiting Greece at the head of a delegation of ministers, senior officials and businessmen, said both countries were looking forward to stronger ties in defence and security matters and had agreed to the deal.

"Pakistan will acquire used frigates," he said. He did not reveal further details, the Daily Times newspaper reported.

The Hellenic Navy, which uses Elli class frigates, will provide the same. Pakistan has been acquiring defence equipment from various countries to meet its defence needs.

Greece and Pakistan also pledged to exchange information on fighting terror, the prime ministers of the two countries said later.

Aziz and Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis did not take questions from mediapersons. Karamanlis declined to answer a reporter's query on an ongoing investigation into the alleged abduction and interrogation of a number of Pakistani immigrants in Athens following the July 2005 London attacks.

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