The Minister of National Defence Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos visited yesterday the Guard posts on the islands of Farmakonissi and Agathonissi, as well as the Military Camp “Warrant Officer (Inf) Paleokastritis Ioannis” at the island of Samos.

From Agathonissi island, Mr. Avramopoulos announced that it was decided for the Armed Forces’ health services and hospitals to provide free medical care and hospitalisation to the inhabitants of the islands of Agathonissi, Kastelorizo and Gavdos.

During his tour, the Minister of National Defence was accompanied by the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General M. Kostarakos, the Chief of the Hellenic Army National Defence Lieutenant General K. Ziazias, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral K. Christidis, the Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff Lieutenant General A. Tsantirakis and the Commander of the Higher Military Command of Interior and Islands Lieutenant General G. Sofianidis.

The speech following is the address made by Mr. Avramopoulos to the personnel of the 79 Higher National Guard Battalions Command:

“Commander, thank you very much for the warm welcome. I would like to say that it is a special joy for me, and I really mean it, to get to spend some time with you, now that this brief tour, which started at Farmakonissi, passed from Agathonissi, finally ends at Samos, one of our most beautiful islands that I especially love.

This tour was part of our planning and for this reason, the military leadership is present here as well. We are here to send out a message to all of you, but to also receive a more important message, that we will send out to the rest of Greece. That apart from the problems this circumstance has held in store for our country, despite the difficult conditions, especially as far as the fiscal issue is concerned, but also despite the fact that there is an election campaign, our national defence system remains standing, superior, ready.

Because this country’s Armed Forces get to have no breaks. Their readiness, their effort, their preparation so that they will be able to respond to their mission, if the case may be, is constant.

I would like to tell you that all this time, as representative of the Hellenic State, being in the big family of the Armed Forces, I get to know better and deeper the personnel of all grades, coming from the leadership, the officers, the NCOs, the soldiers, the civilians, and I have concluded to a series of ascertainments which, to a great extent, also influence my duties as Minister of National Defence.

I say, and I repeat at every chance, and probably you have already noted it, that in these hard times, another Greece exists; Greece of responsibility, honour, value, duty, high spirit, which is at the frontline of a collective effort, so that this place will find once more its pace and orientation.

During this period we kept, to the extent this could be possible with the least possible consequences, our national defence system and its officials, away from the repercussions de facto induced to our Ministry as well by the fiscal policy implemented

What I ask of you today is to keep the spirit high, the soul strong, the sense of duty potent. Because the country appreciates, recognizes and respects the Armed Forces. They are the guarantor of the most important asset conquered in this place, which is freedom itself, along with its independence and integrity.

These are not just words communicated to you on account of the circumstance. They are what I feel and I want to share with you. But they also are, not just what the political leadership believes, but what the Hellenic people believe, an integral and powerful part of whom is the large family of the Armed Forces’ personnel.

I would like to assure you that these thoughts prevail in all of us. During these times, we all should get a message from History, as it runs through the Armed Forces, which also wanted that Greece, through difficult and hard times, stood standing, moved forward, overcame the problems and gazed into the future with optimism.

The condition is that this place must stay united. The Greeks, in front of difficult times, should unite their forces, let aside all those petty things and unite in front of the common goal, that our country will find again its prestige, that our national system will find again its operability, that economy will take its way to recovery, and that the Hellenic people will keep its social cohesion and unity, conquered in the past after great struggles.

Therefore, I would like to publicly express the State’s praise and recognition towards the regular personnel, but also the conscripts.

I would have to emphasize once more the exceptionally high level of admirable cooperation with your leadership, which actually gives a battle to keep the system of the Armed Forces away from the consequences of the crisis we all experience.

So, let me assure you that we shall all continue to this direction, me personally but also all those surrounding me in this collective effort, notwithstanding what the times hold in store for us.

I wish that you will all have the strength, the endurance, that you will all be very proud, men and women, for the mission you have chosen to serve, those of you who are professionals of the Armed Forces, but also all those young children who currently exercise their supreme duty to the country, who are in their national service.

With these thoughts, I would like to thank you for your presence here today. I would like to congratulate you for the level of readiness, for the effectiveness kept in the orders of the Armed Forces, but especially in this frontier zone, this border line from Evros until Kastelorizo.

I thank you with all my heart and I wish you all to have health, strength and endurance, and to believe in the great virtues of this country, of this people, which are the driving force that will take us out of the crisis.

As I said at the beginning, and I repeat once more now, if there is a place where all these are obvious and practically proven every day, it is the place you serve with pride and efficiency.

Thank you very much”.