On Tuesday 27 June 2023, the handover ceremony between the previous Minister Mr. Alkiviadis Stefanis and the new Minister Mr Nikolaos Dendias was conducted at the premises of the Ministry of National Defence.

Mr. Giannis Kefalοgiannis and Mr. Nikolaos Hardalias took the office of Deputy Ministers of National Defence.

The ceremony was attended by the Chief/HNDGS General Konstantinos Floros, the Secretary General of HNDGS Mr. Antonios Oikonomou, the Chief/HAFGS Lieutenant General Themistoklis Bourolias, the Chief/HAGS Lieutenant General Aggelos Choudeloudis and the Chief/HNGS Vice Admiral Ioannis Drymousis HN.

Theoutgoing Minister of National Defence Mr. Alkiviadis Stefanis stated the following in the handover ceremony:

“I begin by saying that we are very happy Minister, and Deputy Ministers, that you are here with us today. I will say a few words first and I will conclude with wishes to you.

First, I start by thanking the Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis who, by handing over the Government to the caretaker Government, made me the honor to propose me for Minister of National Defence.

I thank the President of the Hellenic Republic, because she too agreed on that. Of course I thank Mr. Sarmas for accepting this proposal of me being the Minister of National Defence during this period.

I accepted the Ministry at an excellent level and this is due to the previous Political Leadership and all the members of the Armed Forces, under the directions of the Chief/HNDGS and the Chiefs of the General Staffs.

During this period we tried to preserve the projected strategy, the projected vision, and to be able to add some elements on this.

The security environment is extremely challenging, every day something urgent arises, and the Armed Forces can guarantee the effective handling of anything urgent.

They showed it since 2019 and after facing each crisis. At first, with the instrumentalization of the migratory issue, next with their contribution to Covid, after that with the revisionism of Turkey in the Aegean and after that…, I could keep talking for hours.

The high level of the members of the Civilian and Military personnel in the Ministry of National Defence guarantees this result.

We, during this period, I, during this period at the Ministry, tried to handle some matters and I believe all went extremely well. So, we arrived at the present day.

It is a great pleasure that we hand over to an old acquaintance of the Ministry, a man who has been Minister of National Defence before; a man who has been dealing in the last four years with the second pillar of National Defence, diplomacy.

National Defence deals with defence diplomacy; the Minister, Mr. Dendias, dealt with bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.

An acquaintance of the staff and I believe the addition of Mr. Hardalias and Mr. Kefalogiannis, will result in an excellent work.

From the bottom of my heart, warm thanks to all. Warm thanks to the excellent personnel of the Armed Forces, the Chiefs, the Secretary General, my staff and my office. Of course warm thanks to each male and female personnel, National Guard, conscript of the Armed Forces.

Minister, from the bottom of my heart, I wish you strength, success and luck, may God be with you and everything will go perfectly well.

Thank you very much for being here today with us”.

The incoming Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Dendias pointed out:

“I would like to say that with a sense of honour and duty I am once again in a familiar place. I hope that with the contribution of the central Leadership of the Armed Forces I will be able to respond to the duties assigned to me by the Prime Minister of the Country.

First, it is my obligation to thank, other than the Prime Minister who honoured me by selecting me as Minister of National Defence, the -up to the present day- Minister, General Alkiviadis Stefanis, who flawlessly performed his duties, for the period between the two elections.

I would like to thank his preceding Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos, for his four years of work. I would like to thank the Chief/HNDGS General Konstantinos Floros, as well as the rest members of the central Leadership of the Armed Forces, for the excellent status of our Armed Forces today, for their high morale.

As I had repeatedly pointed out with my previous governmental capacity, the defence of sovereignty and of sovereign rights of Greece does not constitute a simple duty, but a constitutional obligation.

In a crucial coincidence of global reorganizations, Greece has an obligation to respond to the challenges of the present times, to establish with confidence its position in the international environment, as a factor of security and stability, to have a role and expression to the developments that concern it.

This verification has special importance, if, in the balance of powers, we take under consideration the defence agreements I signed on behalf of our country.

I would like here and on this occasion to repeat the firm Greek stance. Greece is seeking smooth relations with its neighboring countries. As I had stated in 2014 from this same position, Greece historically brought an olive branch, a peace offering. It is seeking peaceful co-existence of all people.

At the same time, it keeps a “sword of justice”, not permitting anyone to threaten our territorial integrity, our sovereignty, our sovereign rights. So, we are looking forward to a sincere relationship with the countries of our wider region and of the whole world, especially with the countries that we maintain alliance relations.

Especially regarding neighboring Turkey, it would be good to use the improvement of the climate between us in the last months, to the benefit of our peoples.

To this direction, I wish, I look forward I may say, that we will avoid, to the extent possible, actions that will change this climate and lead to a retrogression in situations of a past not long ago. The two countries can only benefit from the positive climate in our relations.

I would like to repeat the confirmation I gave and preserved as Foreign Affairs Minister to Mitsotakis departing government. I will perform my duties, seeking the best possible consent, the best possible union of hearts on matters of National Defence. In this crucial field for our national existence, there is no room for shoving of the Parties and no petty political expediencies are allowed.

Holding this thought and fully understanding the magnitude of the responsibility, I wish for a good cooperation in the rest members of the Political Leadership, the Deputy Ministers, Mr. Hardalias and Mr. Giannis Kefalogiannis, the Secretary General Mr. Antonis Oikonomou.

I would like to express the same wish to the Chief/HNDGS, General Konstantinos Floros, the Chiefs of the General Staffs, the Chief/HAGS General Choudeloudis, the Chief/HNGS Admiral Drymoussis, the Chief/HAFGS General Bourolias and to all the Political Leadership, the members of the Armed Forces, the young soldiers of the Greek society, the civilian personnel of the Ministry of National Defence.

I deeply thank you”.

The Chief/HNDGS General Konstantinos Floros pointed out:

“Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Chiefs of the Air Force, Army and Navy General Staffs, Mr. Secretary General, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

On behalf of the military leadership, that is the intrinsic Leadership of the Armed Forces, and therefore the total of their personnel, military and civilian, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the departing today caretaker Minister of National Defence Mr. Alkiviadis Stefanis.

Minister, I thank you for the superb and high level cooperation during the 30 days period of you having the political command of the country’s Armed Forces, in the context of performing your duties in a familiar place for you anyway.

I wish you from the bottom of my heart health, happiness and all the best for you and your family.

To the new Minister, the Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Dendias, I would like to welcome him in a familiar environment and place to him, due to his previous tenure here and therefore familiarized with the nature and the particularities of the specific Ministry and wish him welcome Minister.

I wish you, also on behalf of the chiefs of staffs, every success to the work that you have just undertaken, for the well being of the Armed Forces and the Country, regarding fulfilling your duties and your very important mission; we stand by your side to help you and support you in anything that may be required, to the benefit of the Army and Greece, as the laws, orders and the state’s decrees dictate, 24/7, 365 days per year.

Of course, I would like to welcome both Deputy Ministers, the Deputy Minister Mr. Hardalias, an old acquaintance, welcome Deputy Minister.

It is with great pleasure that we see you again in your post to continue your work.

I would also like to welcome the new Deputy Minister, welcome Deputy Minister, at the Ministry of National Defence. I wish you all the best and great success to your work.

I wish everyone health, strength, endurance, success and all the best.

Thank you”.

The Secretary General Mr. Antonios Oikonomou pointed out:

“Minister, Deputy Ministers, Chief, Chiefs of the Armed Forces, ladies and gentlemen,

I sincerely cannot count the handover ceremonies I have attended so far. Just a few weeks ago we welcomed the Minister of National Defence, Mr. Alkiviadis Stefanis, in the context of performing his duties after the establishment of the caretaker Government.

Despite the short term of the caretaker government, I had the pleasure and opportunity to cooperate once again flawlessly for this short term, since we have cooperated not only in the recent past constructively as well.

Today, from the bottom of my heart, I say goodbye to a man who comes from the Armed Forces womb and I know he still has a lot to offer to public life. I say goodbye to a friend and wish him from the bottom of my heart mainly good health and many successes.

With the new Minister, Mr. Nikos Dendias, I had the honor to cooperate at the end of 2014 here at the Ministry, for a short time period, from the same post, and I must confess that our cooperation during that time was flawless and in a mutual climate of superb understanding.

I can declare with full awareness that the assignment of Mr. Dendias to the Ministry of National Defence is for me the greatest opportunity for our Ministry to develop and change things. Believe me, you all know that I do not easily flatter someone, but this is the truth.

Minister, welcome once again in the familiar to you Ministry of National Defence and I wish you from the bottom of my heart good success and strength to your extremely demanding work.

Welcoming Mr. Hardalias to the exactly same post as Deputy Minister, I would like to remind him that my farewell address a month ago was, Nikos, we still have a lot ahead of us and it proved predictive. All the best Deputy Minister, welcome once again.

I would like to congratulate the Deputy Minister, Mr. Giannis Kefalogiannis, for the assignment of his new duties and confirm that I will stand…and help him in his new duties. We are friends for over ten years and a common path.

Welcome Deputy Minister and I sincerely wish you all the best, be well”.