The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias attended the celebration for the feast of Hellenic Navy’s patron saint, Saint Nicholas, which was held in the Hellenic Naval Academy, Piraeus. The service was officiated by the Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus.
The Hellenic Parliament was represented by the 1st Deputy Speaker Ioannis Tragakis whereas the ceremony was also attended by the general secretary of Greece’s Communist Party Dimitris Koutsoumbas, the members of parliament Thodoris Dritsas, Giorgos Varemenos, Terens Kouik and Panagiotis Melas, the mayor of Piraeus Giannis Moralis, as well as representatives of other parties, bodies and of the local governance authorities.
The Minister of National Defence was accompanied by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Ioannis Lambropoulos, the Chief of HNDGS General Michail Kostarakos, the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General Evangelos Tournas and the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Christos Manolas.
In his address Mr. Dendias stated the following:
“I am particularly pleased to be here today, on my own name day, to honour Saint-Nicholas with you; this father among the saints from Myra of Lycia, patron saint of our seamen and of our Navy.
From both Saint-Nicholas’ life, which is usually referred to by our Church as well as from our popular tradition, it becomes clear that Saint-Nicholas is our protector in tempests; literally and metaphorically, and even 1,671 after his dormition.
His modest figure, in which he is depicted in most of the pictures through all the manifestations of our popular culture, is related to the Greek people and their connection with sea across the centuries.
Our history is full of stories of heroic sailors and captains like Ulisses, Nearchus, Nicephorus Karantinos, Nasar the Byzantine, Kanaris, yet also women captains like Manto Mavrogenous, Laskarina Bouboulina.
I know that you always try to keep this tradition and remain loyal successors to our ancestors.
You are the guards of the Archipelago, determined and loyal to their duty. You are the guarantee that the Greek people will keep exercising its sovereign rights on the sea.
You know well that the presence of a mere frigate, a missile boat, the emergence of a submarine, they inspire feelings of security and pride among the islanders up to the remotest borders of our country.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be thoroughly briefed in the Fleet HQs about the capabilities of the Hellenic Navy. Then, I characterized the Hellenic Navy as one of the determining factors of strong deterrence that our country possesses.
On the occasion of today’s celebration I wish to reiterate that ruling the sea is an important issue. This is what the Hellenic Navy’s emblem says, yet it is also a permanent, geopolitical principle. Allow me also to add that this principle has also a financial meaning, except the military one.
The shipping capabilities of the Greek people can yet prove to be a comparative advantage in our effort to overcome the obstacles of the six-year’s financial crisis. Under the current circumstances, everything shows that we are finally getting over these difficulties.
So, we are looking for growth intensifiers, not only to be able to heal the wounds of the adverse six-year period that the Greek people have gone through in a short while, but also to open new ways, to create a new growth model for our country.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The truth is that, although our naval expertise has attained great achievement throughout the world and has made us proud, this accumulated knowledge and experience have not yet been sufficiently utilized.
We did not use the sea – unlike our ancestors – to overcome this crisis.
However, we have academies of excellent level in our country which promote naval expertise and the sciences developed in relation to it, to such an extent that the Greek seamen, whether they serve in the Hellenic Navy or in Merchant Marine, they are considered and indeed are the best at their specialty all over the world.
This know-how and knowledge, which are a force of power can help us be distinguished, by utilizing tools which we have not appreciated and utilized sufficiently until today.
This surplus value that has been created is able to produce applied technology, to lever the mechanism of the economy, to enhance industry, to create new jobs through the development of specialized Research and Innovation. We cannot afford leaving such tools unutilized.
This is not a wish on the occasion of this day. This is a challenge for all of us, Ladies and Gentlemen; to utilize our national capital of our manpower’s know-how.
Centuries of experiences have gathered enormous know-how and capabilities in our genes. And it is a challenge for us to think what we can offer. The example of a productive model that we need was given by those who worked and are working at sea today.
I believe that the Greek Shipping has become an international champion in total disproportion with our country’s Gross National Product and with the transports domain from and to Greece and this can only be explained by a reference to the genetically accumulated experience at sea across the centuries.
I also believe that Greece must use this important activity which it developed in the context of the national defence requirements and it must maintain industries which build and repair ships for both the Hellenic Navy and the Merchant Marine and which act as a live cell for the productive procedure, for research and development of new technologies, for the support to the supply chain and for the development of parallel activities.
We also have capabilities that can not only meet the requirements of our country’s Armed Forces, but serve the needs of other countries which will trust the Greek expertise and recognize our experience in shipping and our reliability, as well.
And I want to tell you that other countries around the Mediterranean and even beyond the Mediterranean are asking today for this know-how of the Hellenic Navy, as a proof of what you still achieve, despite the adversities of the financial crisis.
I am certain that we will not stop here. We will not restrict ourselves to simply maintaining the high battle-worthiness which we obtained despite the crisis.
Two days ago, when I had the honour to visit the Artillery School, Nea Peramos, I underlined that I intend to work for the creation and presentation of a clear road map in due time for the Armed Forces to be converted from a simple consumer into an important producer of innovation and technology. I mean it.
The development of new activities which promote the social and financial contribution of the Armed Forces is not an impediment.
It is a connection with our tradition and a proof that the main capabilities and values are transformed to the benefit of the Greek society, of the Greek people, of our Nation and our Country.
It is our power to move forward and show that progress is not the preservation of obsolete models, but, on the contrary, the ability to create new growth and productive capabilities.
You, our personnel, you give us the impulse to move, not only one, but many steps forward and I congratulate you on this. Please, keep your good job and respect the tradition of the Navy and the glorious history of our Homeland.
You are the Greece of honour, of eagerness and dignity. We know that; and be sure that the day when we will have the chance to compensate is coming soon.
I wish Saint Nicholas to protect whoever is at sea, to protect our Hellenic Navy, our Coast Guard, the Greek Merchant Ships, the Officers, their crews and their families.
Happy Saint Nicholas’ Day to everybody!”
After the end of the ceremony, the Minister of National Defence accompanied by the Deputy Minister of National Defence and the military chiefs visited the Missile Boat “Daniolos” and the Submarine “Papanikolis” which are open to the public at the port of Piraeus.
Mr. Dendias has the opportunity to express his wishes to the crews and be briefed anew on the operational capabilities of these units of the Fleet, as well as to discuss with citizens.
