The Minister of National Defence Ioannis Giagkos attended the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff handover ceremony, where the outgoing General Michail Kostarakos handed over to Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis HN, at the facilities of the Hellenic Army Academy in Vari-Attica.

The ceremony was also attended by the Alternate Minister of Shipping Christos Zois, the Leader of the ‘Independent Greeks’ party and former Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos, MPs, the Chiefs of the Hellenic Armed Forces and Security Corps General Staffs, delegates of foreign Armed Forces Chiefs, Honorary Chiefs, as well as Higher and Supreme Officers of the Armed Forces.

The Minister of National Defence underlined the following:

“I would like to warmly thank and congratulate General Michail Kostarakos for his exceedingly successful tenure at the Land Army, and thereafter his extremely successful tenure at the Armed Forces in general, as Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff. Moreover, I would like to congratulate him on being selected as Chairman of the EU Military Committee, a post which honours him and accentuates his value, but also honours the Greek Armed Forces and the entire Greece. My warmest congratulations.

I would also like to congratulate the new Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff and wish him the best of luck. The Hellenic Navy should be proud, as its Chief becomes Chief of HNDGS.

Concluding, since within the Orders of the Day certain issues concerning the financial crisis were touched, I would like to underline and note that the Armed Forces’ personnel have already contributed to the maximum for overcoming the crisis and there is no room left for more. This should be realised and comprehended by everyone”.