The Minister of National Defence Mr Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos attended today, Sunday 23 May 2021, representing the Government, the event for the completion of 80 years since the Battle of Crete, taking place in Chania. The Minister was accompanied on Crete by the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Stylianos Petrakis, head of an Armed Forces personnel delegation.
In the morning, Mr Panagiotopoulos attended the Doxology at the Presentation of the Virgin Mary Metropolitan Church in Chania, officiated by His Beatitude the Metropolitan Bishop of Kydonia and Apokoronos Damaskinos. The Head of the Region of Crete Stelios Arnaoutakis, the MPs of Chania Dora Bakogianni, Manousos Voloudakis, Vasilis Digalakis, the Deputy Head of Chania Region Mr Nikos Kalogeris, the Mayor of Chania Mr Panagiotis Simandirakis, elected officials from the 1st and 2nd levels of Self-government, representatives of local authorities and officials of foreign countries also attended the event.
Subsequently, the Minister went to the old port of Chania where a march of flag-bearers was conducted by the traditional clubs of the city.
In his statements the Minister of National Defence stressed the following:
NIKOLAOS PANAGIOTOPOULOS: We are in Chania for the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, an event which is, I would say, particularly noteworthy for the first phase of World War II, which, of course, as a military fact has its own merit.
Its great value to us Greeks is that it constitutes an opportunity to celebrate the Cretan soul and ponder, in the words of Nikos Kazantzakis, the feeling of responsibility weighing on us, the potentates of this land, the need to prove ourselves worthy of that soul. It is a message absolutely everlasting and completely current.
JOURNALIST: Are we battle-worthy?
NIKOLAOS PANAGIOTOPOULOS: Of course we are battle-worthy. A great effort has been made to that end. We were always battle-worthy, the effort is simply ongoing, developing and fruitful, so that we can become even more battle-worthy.
It does not just pertain to acquisitions of new armament systems or the upgrade and overall maintenance of the existing ones, which are several, but also to interventions in order to upgrade the Armed Forces personnel, which moreover constitutes the defining factor, the force multiplier as we say. We have accomplished plenty towards these directions in the last two years.
The work and the duty for our country, as the political leadership of the Ministry of National Defence, under the orders and authorisation of the Prime Minister, is to do what is proper so that the Armed Forces do their job even better, as they know and are able.
And I take this opportunity today to assure all Greek men and women that the Armed Forces are absolutely capable of rising to the occasion and completely and absolutely securing our national and sovereign rights.
JOURNALIST: Furthermore, the Armed Forces are in the hearts of the people…
NIKOLAOS PANAGIOTOPOULOS: Yes, because the people comprehends the presence of the Armed Forces in peacetime too, in various activities supporting to the society, such as natural disasters, assistance in MEDEVACs, intense engagement in the health crisis and the great effort conducted by our country to move forward with vaccinations.
The Armed Forces are always present. Because they are – as I like saying – an effective and well-oiled machine with a sense of duty, proper equipment and training, and that is why they produce work and bring results. This fact reverberates throughout the Greek people and gains their trust.
As you once more understood, our job is simply to provide them with the means to do their job even better. They know how to do it and they are perfectly capable.
The events for the completion of 80 years since the Battle of Crete will conclude this afternoon at the Maleme airport, where, in the presence of the Minister of National Defence, F-16 fighters from the 115 Battle Wing will fly over in formation with the RAF “Red Arrows” aerobatic team.
