The Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos accompanied by the Chief of HNDGS Michail Kostarakos, the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Vasileios Tellidis, the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis and the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General Evangelos Vaitsis attended the handover-takeover ceremonies of the Higher Military Command of the Interior and Islands and of the Fleet HQ. In HMCII, Lieutenant General Ioannis Iliopoulos was succeeded by Lieutenant General Menelaos Meimaris and the Commander in Chief of the Hellenic Fleet Vice Admiral Panagiotis Litsas was succeeded by Vice Admiral Georgios Giakoumakis.

The Minister of National Defence addressed the following statement during the handover-takeover ceremony of HMCII’s Commander:

“In the presence of the entire military leadership, of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff and of the Chiefs of the three Branches, we are all here today in the handover-takeover ceremony of HMCII. It is a particularly important HQ for our homeland, an HQ which is constantly alert due to the continuous threats coming from the East; a HQ whose competence stretches from Samothrace Island, all over the eastern and central Aegean islands to Gavdos and Antikythera islands, as well as all over Cyclades islands.
 
As Minister of National Defence on behalf of the political leadership, as well as of the Prime Minister, I wish to congratulate the General who hands over for the period of his service as HMCII’s Commander, for his excellent job.
I want to wish him to have strength and power in the new post which he assumes as of next week and in which I am sure that he will respond to his obligations and duties.

I would like to congratulate Lieutenant General who assumes the HMCII’s command, Mr. Meimaris, and wish him, when he will be handing over his post at the end of his term, to have the same strength and the same power that he has today and to inform him that the political leadership will be his immediate assistant.  

As of the first day when I took office, I commanded all forces who are in the Region of Attica or in units where no service need exists, to be transferred immediately in Evros Prefecture and in the islands. On behalf of the political leadership I assure you, Commander, you will have our unreserved cooperation to achieve as much as possible 100% staffing in our island and within your area of responsibility.

If needed, we will create more structures in Eastern Aegean Sea by reducing the ones in areas with low needs, regardless of the political cost. We will do this. I wish you Virgin Mary to help you in this difficult job. I wish all Commanders who follow your orders, all personnel, officers, NCOs, conscripts as well as to the national guard to have a good career and I believe  that the time has come for the political leadership to pay the same attention that the military leadership pays to the national guard.

The National Guard is a civil defence and it is particularly important at this period of time for it to be reinforced and at the same time to enhance also the role of reservists. We will try, despite the difficult financial circumstances, to provide all those financial means required to increase the number of exercises, to enhance readiness particularly with regards to reservists and the national guard, and today, on this occasion, I will also ask for the valuable contribution also of the retired personnel of the Armed Forces who belong to the reserve forces. I am very glad to see generals and chiefs here of which we are all proud.

Thank you very much.

Good luck.”

The Minister of National Defence addressed the following statement in the handover-takeover ceremony of the Chief in command of the Hellenic Fleet:

“Chief, Admiral, I wish, on behalf of the Ministry of National Defence, on behalf of the government, as well as on behalf of the Greek people to thank you for the 39 years of service in the Hellenic Navy; to thank you in particular for the two years that you have been serving as Chief of the Hellenic Fleet.

You honoured the traditions of the Hellenic Navy, you kept the traditions of the Hellenic Navy. You are an operational Admiral who leaves the active force with the highest rank and after having served for two years in the most difficult post, in the operational post of the Chief of Fleet.

I know that this is a very difficult day, it is a day of honour, yet it is a day which will always remain in your mind, in the mind of your people, of Officers, NCOs, men and women of the civilian personnel with whom you cooperated and who were under your command.

We were on board “Averof” with your classmate Mr. Christidis a few days before his retirement, along with late Dany Theofanidis and we discussed about the traditions of the Hellenic Navy. It is hard for me, who have only served few days with you to tell you goodbye. I do it, though, with a very great honour and it is not a typical procedure for me to hand you the emblem of the Ministry of National Defence.

I hand it to you on behalf of the Greek people, on behalf of the island residents who felt secure. I hand it to you because you managed the assets which were provided by the state in an optimal manner, to utilize them in the best possible way. You made the Hellenic Navy proud and what I, as institutional responsible, promise you to do from now on, is to be more careful.
What we will do – and it has been decided – is to keep a specific time period for the term of Chiefs which will be implemented. We began by avoiding the involvement of the political leadership in the procedure of retirements and promotions except only in the highest ranks. I forbade any other involvement.

This year some changes had to be introduced which would help to normalize the procedure of the Army Registry. Worthy officers who should not have been wronged, were wronged. I take the blame of this, but I tell you goodbye by saying that I wish those who will succeed you to be as worthy as you, as operational as you, to enjoy the respect of their inferiors, the love of their superiors and St. Nicholas’ blessing, to whom only you owe this brilliant career.

Thank you very much.”