A left-wing Greek opposition party denounced the sale Tuesday of a major domestic defense company to the Israeli SK Group, whose portfolio includes Israeli Military Industries (IMI) and Israeli Shipyards, Anadolu reports.
“It is not a simple sell-out, but another act of complicity of the (Kyriakos) Mitsotakis regime with the genocide in Palestine,” the New Left party said in a statement.
“At the time of the genocide, the Mitsotakis government, is tying the country to Israel’s chariot, proceeding with a nationally detrimental choice that gives away critical sectors on terms of servitude,” is said.
The party underlined that the sale of ELVO to the Israeli holding company is another episode in the selling out of critical public infrastructure and strategic industries.
“The loss of the most important Greek defense industry to foreign hands undermines the country’s national security and technological self-sufficiency,” it said.
Thessaloniki-based ELVO (Hellenic Vehicle Industry) has, for around five decades, produced buses, heavy utility trucks, military jeeps, armored vehicles and tanks, mostly under licenses from third parties, for the Greek Armed Forces.
In 2020, the sale of ELVO to an Israeli-interest consortium that comprises Plasan Sasa, Naska Industries — SK Group and Greek businessman Aristidis Glinis, was concluded for around $3.4 million.
SK Group announced Tuesday that it completed the 100% takeover of ELVO.