Today, Thursday, 27th of October 2016, the Alternate Minister of National Defense, Dimitris Vitsas, visited a number of refugees’ hot spots in continental Greece and was briefed on the condition of the hot spots and the works in progress, while at the same time he had meetings with local authorities.
In the morning he visited the Malakasa hot spot. Afterwards, accompanied by the Commander of the 1st Army, Lieutenant General Elias Leontaris and the Chief of the Tactical Air Force, Lieutenant General Christos Christodoulou, he visited the under reconstruction hot spot in Koutsohero, Larissa, while in the afternoon he visited the hot spot in Trikala.
The Alternate Minister of National Defense made the following statements in Koutsohero :
Regarding the Hot Spot:
This spot will host approximately 1.500 people, exclusively Syrian families, who will be transported from other hot spots, which will be disbanded. We believe that the inauguration will take place between the 10th and the 20th of November. As we can see, the site is totally different to what it was a few months ago. The Ministry of National Defense, on his part, has completed the 99% of the works and just a few remain to be completed, undertaken by contractors, paid by the Red Crescent and the Red Cross. It will set an example regarding the way these two organizations can cooperate. It is a procedure that will be of benefit to the area. Soon, we will change the refugees’ way of food supply as well, that is from catering to provisioning, as if they were at home. This means that the local economy will be further strengthened and we will avoid competition among companies. Until these people find the legal and safe way, either to return to their homes, after the war has ended, or to move to other European countries. We hope that this will not take long . We are not getting the help we had hoped for as Greeks and solidarity is not demonstrated by all countries, as it should be. Here, in Koutsohero, we worked together, the state agencies, the government itself, the Ministry, the District and the Town Hall, in an exemplary way and this proves that when our cooperation is good-spirited and heart-felt , we can get the best possible outcome.
Regarding the broadcasting licences:
What is certain is that total illegitimacy regarding broadcasting will not go on. That is, the fact that a public corporation is used, free of charge, in a predatory way. We, after yesterday’s decision of the Council of State, have to solve and we will solve it, through a legislative initiative, the following, very simple matter, in relation to the law that passed in February. That is what will happen as of today until the day that the national broadcasting board finalizes the authorization procedure. This, you can look forward to. At the same time, what we should all look forward to and this will also demonstrate decency, regarding the opposition’s intentions, is the establishment of the national broadcasting council . What I look forward to next week and following the initiative of the chairman of the Parliament is the establishment of the national broadcasting council, which will enable the law implementation.
Statement by the Alternate Minister of National Defense in Trikala:
There are people who have suffered a lot from war and from poverty. They are looking for a shelter, Greece is just a stop-over for them, they do not want to stay in Greece. Despite our distressed economic status, we are trying to provide them with what is best. Through our really smooth cooperation with the Municipality, the District and the people here in Trikala, we have reached a bearable point. Problems exist, as for example the quality and quantity of food supply. We are dealing with them and trying to solve them in various ways.
The Alternate Minister of National Defense, tomorrow, Friday, the 28th of October, will represent the government in the celebrations for the national holiday of the 28th of October, to be held in Kozani.
