The Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos pays an official visit to Cyprus.

The Minister of National Defence visited the National Guard General Staff where he met with Cyprus’ Minister of Defence Christoforos Fokaides.

The Minister of National Defence is accompanied by the Chief of HNDGS General Michail Kostarakos and the Deputy Minister of State Terens Kouik.

The Minister of National Defence stated the following:

“We are here today – a few hours after the Parliament gave the vote of confidence to the government – on the first official visit of one Greek government’s Ministers, and on my visit as Minister of National Defence, not to a foreign country, but to our fraternal state of Cyprus, to the same nation.

We are here, together with the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff Michail Kostarakos and the Deputy Minister of State Terens Kouik to assure the Greek Cypriots that Greece is here. Cyprus is not far.

The new government, which received a vote of confidence yesterday believed clearly that the defence shield of Greeks extends from Thrace to the Aegean and to Cyprus. This is what Michalis Charalampidis used to say: that Thrace, the Aegean and Cyprus are interdependent.

Things are changing a lot regarding the geopolitical position of Cyprus and of Greece in a burning Middle Ease, in a burning Northern Africa, yet against new incidents of Islamic fundamentalism which turn into a threaten to the free world.

The geopolitical position of Cyprus and Greece is different, as are also the interests and the obligation to change defence positions because Cyprus and Greece are becoming oil and gas producing countries. The areas of responsibility for security and defence are expanding after the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone which Cyprus has already performed and to which the Hellenic Republic will proceed too, very soon.

Substantially, this changes the defence planning followed until today; a defence planning which will have to take into consideration the friendly and allied countries which ask for the defence cooperation in the wider region. I am clearly referring to the East, to Israel.

Greece and the Ministry of National Defence, the Armed Forces have planned common exercises over the next months with Cyprus, Israel and probably Egypt too.

The cooperation between the two Ministries, the cooperation of the General Staffs will pass into a new stage. I am glad that today we got into the matter and what was being planned until yesterday is now being implemented.

To strengthen practically our relations even more, the presence of a liaison officer of the National Guard to the Hellenic National Defence General Staff in Greece will be essentially the beginning of the common planning for us to shape the political confrontation of crises and to deal with challenges and threats.

I want to assure you that Turkey’s aggressiveness, and its refusal to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, has been confirmed in all international for a. Even within NATO, where I recently visited the Secretary General when I took office, I want to tell you that it is difficult for everyone to understand how is it possible for a NATO member-state, Turkey, to refuse to recognize an EU member-state.

Turkey is trying to militarise our relations. The presence of “Barbaros” which disputes Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone is a clear challenge, a challenge which confirms that unfortunately, despite the efforts for an improvement of our relation with Turkey, turkey keeps following the same policy which it followed after the invasion and occupation of Cyprus.

As the Prime Minister made it clear too in his last visit, the Cyprus issue remains for us an issue of invasion and occupation. For us, any discussion about an improvement of our relations will take place from the moment when Turkey will decide that it cannot ignore the international law, it cannot ignore the decisions of the United Nations, it cannot continue to ignore the existence of a member-state of the EU. We want peace in the wider region, to everybody’s benefit. But we are ready to respond, if it is needed, to any attempt of violation of the national sovereignty or the territorial integrity of the wider defence space of Greece and Cyprus.

Thank you very much for this possibility we had, to begin this close cooperation. We will continue to cooperate in both fields: exercises and training of personnel. I believe that your decision to reinforce the Armed Forces of Cyprus, due to the new circumstances, is a decision that should have been made a long time ago. The Greek Armed Forces are ready to assist the National Guard, so that there will be training of personnel, acquisition of practical and theoretical experience and definitely on-the-spot cooperation through the presence of National Guard’s personnel in the procedures of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff.”

JOURNALIST: Minister, I would like to ask a question. I keep from your statement that Cyprus is not far and Greece is here. Apart from the cooperation with Cyprus and Israel, which you announced, will there be a more tangible evidence of restarting the single defence doctrine?

P.KAMMENOS: Yes, there will be a planning which you will see within the next months and which will be related to restructuring the relations through practical cooperation and through a stronger presence of Cypriot officers in Greece, as well as of Greeks in Cyprus.

JOURNALIST: Will there also be a permanent presence;

P.KAMMENOS: Permanent presence.

JOURNALIST: That is, may we also see in the future a repetition of exercises like “Nikiforos-Toxotis” or a Greek frigate to sail here in the nearby area or an F-15 aircraft in Paphos air base, for example?

P.KAMMENOS: The exercises “Nikiforos-Toxotis” never stopped.  

The exercises are updated every six months. When we consider that they must be conducted, either these exercises or different exercises will be conducted. Other sorts of exercises are being conducted of which some are announced and others are not, but they are exercises adapted to the new frameworks of cooperation and of requirements of the wider geopolitical region. I want to assure the Greek Cypriot people that these are not just words, they refer to actions and that the relations between the two Ministries, as well as between the two General Staffs are now much stronger than they possibly look like.     

JOURNALIST: Minister, the will exists. Is there any money for this planning?

P.KAMMENOS: Do you know how many have tried to make me say the phrase “there is money”? Let me tell you something, the most important factor in the National Defence is the morale. Who fights to defend his national integrity, his family, his country, who fights for his flag, for values and qualities is much stronger than the one who has more assets.

Our Armed Forces’ morale at this moment is excellent, despite the financial crisis, although the personnel of the Armed Forces have been afflicted by the financial crisis. For this reason, the new government committed itself immediately to help the officers, NCOs and personnel of the Armed Forces. This is why the political leadership stands by the Armed Forces, this is why we improve the existent assets which, I assure you, are enough, we modernize them and, if it is necessary, the Greek people will save this money that will be needed, even if they do not have much.  

There is not always a need for great amounts of money. But, at some moment, funds will be found also from the ones used by those whose purpose was not the procurement of the Armed Forces but their personal enrichment. Be aware that all these cases will be examined, the money will be confiscated and penal justice will be done.