The Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas received a delegation of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA) who visits Greece in the context of the annual meeting of the Association’s Governing Board, which is held in Greece.
The Greek MPs from abroad were informed on issues of National Defence and Security, as well as on broader geostrategic issues. The ceremony was attended by the Chief of HNDGS Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Georgios Giakoumakis, the Inspector General of the Army Lieutenant General Ioannis Iliopoulos, the Deputy Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General Antonios Athanasiou and other officers representing the General Staffs of the Hellenic Armed Forces.
The group of Greek MPs from abroad consisted of the following members of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association: Thomas Katsiantonis, Chairman, State MP of New Hampshire, USA, Peter Katsambanis, 1st Vice Chairman, MP of Parliament of Western Australia, Panagiota Merchant, 2nd Vice Chairwoman, Senator of Canada, Leonidas Raptakis, member, MP of Rhodes Island, USA, Gerasimos Sklavounos, member, MP of Laurier-Dorion, Quebec, Canada, Sotiris Delis, member, MP of Sweden, Philippe Kitsos, member, MP of the Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Steve Dimopoulos, member, MP of State of Victoria, Australia, Nicole Malliotakis, member, State MP of New York, USA, John Pandazopoulos, Honorary Secretary General, former Minister for Tourism, Culture, Labour and Public Works of Victoria, Australia, former Chairman of W.H.I.A. and the following observers: Efstathia Booras, State MP, New Hampshire, ΗΠΑ, Theo Theophanous, former Minister for Industry and Trade of Victoria, Australia, Nicholas Kotsiras, former Minister for Energy and Cultural Relations of Victoria, Australia:
The Alternate Minister, in his address, stated the following:
“I am particularly pleased to welcome the Governing Board of the World Hellenic Inter-parliamentary Association to the Ministry of National Defence today and, of course, as they are represented by you, I welcome also the 196 members from 31 countries.
I am sharing this pleasure with the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Georgios Giakoumakis, the Inspector General of the Army Lieutenant General Ioannis Iliopoulos, the Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff Major General Antonios Athanasiou and the other officers of the General Staffs.
The role of each one of you separately in your countries’ parliament, as well as the one of being a member in this Association is very important and becomes even more crucial in a period full of geopolitical and financial changes.
You are the voice of Greece in each part on the planet; you are struggling for the promotion, the diffusion and spread of Greek culture’s principles and of the Greek language.
As government we have set the productive reconstruction of the country as our top priority. We are standing before a crucial crossroad and your contribution is important, since you support the promotion of Greek products, investments and Greece’s tourist development with many initiatives.
As Ministry of National Defence, I would like to assure you that Greece possesses a strong defence system and reliable Armed Forces that are a guarantee of stability, power and deterrence.
Greece and the Greek people invest in peace and not in war, through Greece’s strong Armed Forces, through their combat capabilities and their deterrence force.
However, we are determined to resist to any challenge and threat against our territorial integrity and national independence.
Our government’s intention is to reinforce the Armed Forces, enhancing the sustainability of our defence industry in the long term. We want our defence industry to operate as a tool which will project strong Greece with its own view and attitude about global developments.
In these words, I would like to welcome you again to the Ministry, to wish that the rest of your meetings are productive too and a nice trip back home after having smelled the scent of Greece which will accompany you until your next visit here.”
