October 13, 1953
US BASES AGREEMENT: An extremely important agreement was signed yesterday between the governments of Greece and the United States, giving the American government the right to use, jointly with the Greek government, certain airports and naval bases in Greece. In general terms the agreement is similar to one that has been in force for some time between the US and Great Britain, and the US and France, the latter concerning particularly the defense of Morocco. The agreement was simultaneously announced at 8 p.m. in Athens and Washington, and provides for the following arrangements. First of all, it gives major support for the defense effort in the Balkans and particularly on Greek territory, where the construction of new airports and the improvement of old installations will, within a short period of time, abolish Bulgaria’s arms superiority and improve the existing naval bases. Secondly, it will take pressure off the Greek state budget with regard to expenditure on projects of a military nature that have already been undertaken by the United States.
