The Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas visited the offices of the Region of Peloponnese, Tripoli, where he met with the Regional Governor Petros Tatoulis and participated in a meeting with personnel of the Region regarding the contribution of the Region of Peloponnese to the management of the refugees’ issue.

The Alternate Minister of National Defence after the meeting, stated:

“Everybody knows that the refugees issue is an international issue, an issue of human rights. At the same time, it is also a national issue for Greece, a patriotic issue, I would say. It is in this manner that we should deal with it and I believe that the Regional Governor gave the main points of this patriotic and national issue which we all Greek men and women should face together.

We have had a very substantial discussion and I must say that the Governor and the regional governors attended it as long prepared. It was an issue which they had considered and it really gives us solutions, so that, having ensured the consent of all institutions and the necessary social consent, we will not create more burden to the Region, but to utilize the hospitality to the benefit of both, the refugees and the Region.

Over the next days, this will turn into a concrete plan and from this plan we will proceed to action because Greece too must prove that, despite the difficulties, can handle such issues – issues of principles and values – and come out strong enough, because we are a rich and strong country at all levels and some time we must prove this to the whole world.”

While answering relevant questions of reporters, he stressed:

“We will accommodate refugees everywhere. There must be a general distribution, based on the capacity of every region, yet also its history and financial capabilities in order to prevent the creation of a larger burden in only one region, such as Eidomeni.

The Ministry of National Defence undertakes the creation of these reception centres – based on indications and plans of the Region itself – the supply of catering, the hygiene conditions and healthcare in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

We agreed that, until the end of the next week, the plan will have been completed. We will set out the places in cooperation with the Region.

In parallel, we cooperate with the European Union so that the asylum procedures are conducted quickly and, from the next week on, the applications are forwarded quickly. Of course, the most important is the full implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement.