The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias, after concluding his visit today, Tuesday 12 September 2023, to the 1st Army HQ in Larissa, accompanied by the Chief/HNDGS, made the following statement:

“As Minister of National Defence of the Hellenic Republic, I would like to first of all to express from this place, the 1st Army HQ in Larissa, my most sincere condolences to the relatives of the victims of the
recent extraordinary bad weather, as well as my warmest wishes to those injured, for their recovery. I would also like to express our empathy and support to those affected by the weather conditions.
They should be reassured for our practical support of us all, just like the PM announced. I also want to express my thanks, as well as my deep gratitude to the women and men of our country’s Armed Forces, and I already did this earlier, at the meeting that was held at the Coordination Centre. With a spirit of selflessness and sense of their duty, they offered all assistance possible to our fellow citizens that were affected, under
unpreceded and very adverse conditions. Without thinking about the hard work needed, without calculating the danger, at the same time when, most probably, their own families faced similar problems. In thousands of cases, their assistance was salutary. However, as expressing my thanks and congratulations, I shouldn’t leave out the women and men of the Fire Service, the Hellenic Police, the Hellenic Port Police, and the other authorities, who cooperated at the aid and rescue operations, as well as the numerous volunteers who assisted the efforts made. They proved that the concepts of duty and reaching out to the fellow human are not in deficiency, in the Greek society of the 21st Century. Finally, I would like to make an appeal to us all, to rise to the occasion, during these hard times.
The Hellenic Armed Forces do not belong to governments, nor political parties. They belong to the Hellenic people, and to the Nation. The keep our territorial and national integrity intact, against all kinds of
threats. Indeed, we experienced this intensely in the past few years. The Armed Forces are a source of pride to the Nation and the people, as its integral part. They stand by the Greek society, at all times of
crises.
Criticism is always welcome of course; however I would like to ask from the very minority to refrain from discrediting the Armed Forces, for reasons of petty expediency and image. More than unfair, as this might be tolerable, it is harmful at national level. I do not need to remind you where the country was, and what it had to face, just a few months ago. As I always say, Greece is not Luxembourg.

Thank you”.