U.S., Greece Sign 8-Year Pact on Military Bases : Defense treaty: The deal comes after 19 rounds of negotiations and three changes of government in Athens.

Greek and U.S. officials on Sunday signed a defense treaty allowing two major U.S. military bases to remain in the country for at least eight years. Washington threw in 62 warplanes and four naval destroyers to sweeten the deal.

The treaty, which still must be ratified by the Greek Parliament and the U.S. Congress, guarantees defense of Greece’s territory against any hostile country, including neighbor and fellow NATO ally Turkey.

The accord comes after 19 rounds of negotiations and three changes of government in Greece, and it continues a defense relationship between the two North Atlantic Treaty Organization members that began in 1953.

“This document provides a firm foundation for continuing our bilateral defense relationship on mutually acceptable and beneficial terms and will contribute to the strength of NATO,” Defense Secretary Dick Cheney said after the signing.

Greek Foreign Minister Antonis Samaras and U.S. Ambassador Michael Sotirhos signed the treaty, which can be extended by mutual agreement on an annual basis after it expires. If the treaty is ratified, it could go into effect by September.

Conservatives control 151 seats in the 300-seat Parliament, the bare majority needed to ratify the agreement.

A draft letter to Congress calls for $345 million in aid for Greece’s purchase of U.S. military equipment. It also proposes that Greece receive surplus materiel worth about $1 billion, Samaras said.

The United States also would waive $50 million owed by Greece for past military purchases.

The U.S. proposes to make available to Greece 28 F-4E fighter bombers, six P-3A aircraft, 28 A-7 fighter planes and four guided-missile destroyers.

A previous five-year defense agreement expired in December, 1988. Seventeen rounds of negotiations involving the former socialist government of Andreas Papandreou produced no treaty. Coalition governments after June and November elections last year put the issue on hold.

The conservative government of Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, elected April 8, and the United States reached agreement in principle on May 30 after two rounds of talks.

The treaty covers two major U.S. military bases on the southern island of Crete--a naval support facility at Souda Bay and Iraklion Air Station near the village of Gournes. A naval communications station at Nea Makri and Hellenikon Air Base, both near Athens, are to be closed to save money.

Samaras said the Souda Bay facility will provide refueling for surveillance aircraft previously stationed at Hellenikon. He said the aircraft will be based outside Greece. Numerous relay stations throughout Greece also will be withdrawn.