After the final stage of “AISIOS OIONOS ‘21” exercise which was conducted as part of “PARMENION” Field Exercise, on 29 September 2021, the Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos delivered the following statement to press correspondents, from the firing range “PSILOS STALOS”, in Evros prefecture:

“The major Field Exercise “Parmenion 2021” was completed and we just watched its final stage. I think that it was an excellent demonstration of fire power, a combination of land and air assets, helicopters, aircraft and of the total capacity of the Armed Forces. It was a demonstration which we had not the chance to watch last year because it was not conducted. This year, however, it was organized again in an exceptional manner and it proved, beyond any doubt, the great total capabilities and, by extension, the deterrence capacity of the Armed Forces. I would like to congratulate all the participants for the successful outcome of this Exercise.

The Armed Forces show their presence and become all the more powerful, in order to ensure the territorial independence and to defend our sovereignty rights against any threat and anyone that covets them. I have no doubt about it. I am pleased that I am a part of this effort to enhance the capabilities of the Armed Forces, whether through the Defence Diplomacy which is intensively exercised and produces results, or the also intensive effort of the Armed Forces to be procured with the most advanced and integral weapon systems at sea, air and land, or through the effort to upgrade the total capabilities of the Armed Forces’ personnel, in an excellent cooperation with the Military leaders who contribute, through their planning, to this effort in an effective manner.

Congratulations to the organizers, to the planners and the participants of this year’s “Parmenion 2021” exercise.

Thank you.”