On Tuesday, 2 June 2020, the Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos visited Petraki Monastery and the Offices of the Standing Holy Synod, where he met with His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece Hieronymos II. During the scheduled meeting, the Minister of National Defence took delivery of special equipment to be used by the Armed Forces, donated by the Church of Greece.
Acknowledging the acquired need to fortify the borders, the Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece approved the financial coverage of Army procurements and purchase of special equipment amounting to 49 thousand euros, to reinforce the fence at Evros borders.
Specifically, electrical material was delivered for the lighting of the fenced area, as well as green fabric and staplers, in order to perform maintenance, reinforcement and extension works of the existing fence up to an area of 8,000 square metres. Night observation/sighting thermal cameras were also donated, in order to upgrade the soldiers’ optical instruments, providing unique capabilities of tracking and immediate response.
During the equipment delivery ceremony, the Minister of National Defence in his address to His Beatitude Archbishop, the members of the Standing Holy Synod and the people who attended the ceremony, stated the following:
‘Thank you very much, Your Beatitude, Holy Synod Bishops, Very Reverend Father Nikodimos for managing this donation in a completely efficient way and we thank you for this. I come here with real humbleness, before Your Beatitude, before the Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, in order to express feelings of gratitude on behalf of the country’s Armed Forces.
The Armed Forces have always fought for the National rights, under the Blessing of the Church. This happens today as well. Your Blessing has always given them strength to Fight. I happen to be today the political leader of the Armed Forces, and I, along with my staff, have recently dealt with the acrimonious crisis in Evros, which was an ‘attempt of an organised invasion’, reinforced by specific assistance and support, and was aimed, among other things, at our domestic destabilisation. This is an actual hybrid threat, to use more specialised terminology. The Armed Forces stood up against this threat, they were given relevant political directions, due to the decisions of the central Government.
As it is proven by the result, they dealt successfully with this crisis which has not finished yet, and be sure that we do not feel that it is over. We organise our actions so that we keep on defending the Country’s borders, both land and sea borders. There is no doubt, as I told you before, with God’s help, we dealt with the matter successfully and this, among other things, awoke the Nation, in order to be strong and endure the challenge.
As I told you before, the Armed Forces, in perfect cooperation with the Hellenic Police and the Hellenic Coast Guard at the sea borders, but also with the perfect attitude of Evros guards (let’s not underestimate their contribution), succeeded in repelling this invasion attempt.
Of course we would gladly accept any kind of help. One of the splendid results of this crisis was that many civilians offered material help, which the Armed Forces appreciated and they still do, but this kind of help is far more important, because it has the Blessing of the Church. When – and I can say that, since I witnessed it with my own eyes – every weapon, every aircraft, every gun, every member of the Armed Forces carries the pictures of the Patron Saints, then it is very important for the personnel to know that the Church, as well as our Saints, stand by them and guide them in their Struggle with their Blessing.
Your Beatitude, allow me to express my thanks, the deep gratitude of the Armed Forces to the Church of Greece, for this symbolic, but hugely meaningful contribution of equipment, fabric, materials that will reinforce the fence and the barriers which are constructed every day in Evros, as well as the advanced technology thermal cameras, which will make the borders’ surveillance more effective, by the sleepless guardians who always guard them.
What I can assure you of is that this Struggle, which was not over after the March crisis, on the Clean Monday, is still on unimpaired. The effort to better organise ourselves, to prepare ourselves for whatever may arise, is continued. It is even intensified. This is the direction we give and it is easily and gladly accepted by the Armed Forces’ members. It will keep going, because the Struggle for our National Rights is continuous and eternal. The Forces in Evros outposts, guarding the borders, are fully aware of this Struggle for our National rights’.
After the ceremony, the Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos delivered the following statement to the Media:
‘I came today to the premises of the Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, before His Beatitude and the Bishops, in order to accept, on behalf of the country’s Armed Forces, a donation of equipment, for the forces which guard Evros borders.
The only thing I have to say is that I express my gratitude, the gratitude of the country’s Armed Forces towards the Church, for this symbolic, but extremely meaningful contribution’.
