The Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos and the Minister of Citizen Protection Mr. Michalis Chrysochoidis, along with the HNDGS/Chief General Konstantinos Floros and the Greek Police Chief General Michail Karamalakis visited today, Friday 20 August 2021, the Area of Responsibility of D’ Army Corps in Evros.

The Ministers inspected the Surveillance Outpost 1 and Petalo Surveillance Outpost, visited the Kastanies Forest and inspected the guard and surveillance assets, participated in a briefing held at the Greek Police Coordination Centre in Cheimonio, Orestiada. They also visited the Kipoi border bridge and supervised the construction works of the deterrent obstacle (fence) in Petalo.

Mr. Panagiotopoulos and Mr. Chrysochoidis participated in a meeting at the HQs of the XII Mechanized Infantry Division, also attended by MPs of Evros Prefecture and other officials.

The Minister of National Defence addressed the following after the meeting:

“We are in Evros today, in the context of a short and yet concise visit along our ground borders. In the spots we visited, as well as throughout the ground borders, we ascertained the flawless and upgraded execution of our borders surveillance and guard systems.

This was achieved through the valuable contribution of the Greek Police and Armed Forces Members, under conditions of harmonious and excellent cooperation between them, as well as the development of state of the art technology surveillance systems.

We examined ways of reinforcing the surveillance and guard systems and of course I must state that Greece continues armoring itself against any potential or actual security threat.

This is the government’s will; these are the mandates and directions of the Prime Minister. A plan is needed, organization is needed, strenuous labor is needed and a lot of work is needed through time, so time is crucial.

Continuous alertness and readiness is needed, but all these are present. It has been proven that they exist and what happens now is that this plan is implemented and is evolving, in the light of the developments outside the country’s borders, with a quick and more intensive pace. This is what we have come to do today here in Evros, from the spot-as I like to refer to-where “Greece Begins”.

The Minister of Citizen Protection stated the following:

“The Afghan crisis creates new givens in the geopolitical sphere and at the same time it creates possibilities of migratory flows. It is known that, as a European country, we participate in the EU’s institutional bodies and within this framework a series of decisions is made. However, as a country we cannot stand indifferent waiting for possible implications.

We support the democratic rights and freedoms of the people, but at the same time we cannot allow the use of migratory flows that may arise as a tool.

It is our decision-and it is the mandate of the Prime Minister we convey here to the members of the Armed and the Greek Police Forces and to the local authorities-to defend and secure our borders. Our borders will remain secure and intact. We will not allow disorganized and disorderly movements and we will not allow any attempt of violation.

I would like to inform you that we have an important upgrade of the borders’ security and protection, compared to the crisis which emerged here in Evros 18 months ago.

The fence construction, 40 kilometers long, has been completed, in very critical spots of our borders. An admirable project which creates possibilities and conditions of deterrence.

Our borders automated electronic surveillance system has also been completed, which we visited today for the first time along with Mr. Panagiotopoulos and which is about to start operating. In addition, technologically speaking, it is extremely advanced with great possibilities and effectiveness with regard to borders surveillance.

Also, in the meeting that preceded, a series of very specific operational measures was determined, which will be developed in the near future and will further reinforce the deterrent potential.

I would like to underline something extremely important for the security of the country: this harmonious cooperation between the Armed Forces of the Hellenic Army and the Police Force, holding independently discrete roles, but at the same time sharing many combined actions. I would also like to underline the effort and the work of the Hellenic Army in the field of securing the borders, through a series of prerequisites that it daily constructs in our borders. Now, we possess the know how, the experience and the training, but what mostly prevails is the high morale”.

The visit in the Area of Responsibility of D Army Corps was completed with the demonstration of the tethered balloon of the PORT POLICE CORPS-HELLENIC COAST GUARD-FRONTEX, at Alexandroupolis Airport “DIMOKRITOS”.