The Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos attended today the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation for Technological and Developmental Issues between the Region of Attica – Piraeus Regional Unit and the Hellenic Naval Academy, which took place at the Academy’s premises at Piraeus.
The signing of the memorandum was also attended by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Dimitrios Elefsiniotis, the Head of the Region of Attica Mr. Ioannis Sgouros, the MP from SYRIZA party in B’ Electoral District of Piraeus Ms Jenny Vamvaka, the MP in A’ Electoral District of Piraeus and Islands with DHMAR party Ms Maria Repoussi, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Kosmas Christidis, the President of the Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce and Industry Mr. Georgios Kassimatis, a spokesman of the Church, Mayors and members of the local government.
Mr. Panagiotopoulos made the following address:
“It is a special joy and honour for me to be here. I have come to confirm the concern and the consideration of the political leadership at the Ministry of National Defence for such initiatives, which are not actions of communicative character but essential proposals.
The Armed forces of the Hellenic Republic, the Armed Forces of our Nation are the iron arm for the armour of defence, sovereignty, integrity and independence of our country. This is their mission.
They have great deterrent capability, high operational readiness and potent spirit. Those are the characteristics capable of discouraging any bad neighbour from thinking and performing possible plans against our country’s sovereign rights.
These supreme benefits, national security and protection of the Hellenic people’s sovereignty and peace, are offered to the country by the Hellenic Armed Forces, despite the budget cuts which were necessary for the country not to bankrupt and fall apart.
I am saying it, I have said it before and I will repeat it once more. Hundreds of thousands of Armed Forces’ personnel across the country have disconnected their everyday problems, as they have a difficult routine, just like the rest of the Greek people, and they perform their duty in the best possible way, faithful to the oath they have taken to the Constitution and the country.
On the other hand, we also have to say that the country’s Armed Forces, and more specifically the Hellenic Navy, are pools of scientific knowledge and applied-know-how. Particularly, the Hellenic Navy and the Hellenic Naval Academy have concentrated scientific knowledge, but also excellent applied know-how in the field of defence naval technologies.
Therefore, it is a great challenge, a positive challenge, for us to be able to make out of this scientific knowledge and applied-know-how a lever that will promote Hellenic society’s financial growth and promote social and financial progress, which will reflect to the citizen’s everyday life.
We salute this initiative. We believe that this initiative realizes our thoughts and implements our vision, to bring the Armed Forces closer to the citizens’ life and materialise the condensed scientific knowledge and compound capabilities offered by applied know-how to specific fields, aiming after one thing: To improve the infrastructure and the procedures of everyday life in local societies and to have imminently positive results for the citizen’s life; the fellow-citizen who currently bears a heavy burden due to the most difficult period our country experiences since the Second World War.
Such efforts are not only admirable; they are the ones showing us the way. The crisis will not be overcome with grumpiness or a passive attitude towards life. We shall overcome the crisis by being active, by seeking, finding and applying forms of social activity and initiatives like this one; initiatives for which we shall always be at the frontline.
Congratulations to everyone who has worked towards materialising this opening. I know the cooperation has already started; yet, I would like this start, with today’s symbolisation, to send out everywhere a message, that the Ministry of National defence, the Hellenic Armed Forces are a part of Greek society. We are one of the most active cells of Greek society. We listen closely to their sorrows, problems and, many times, dead-ends and we want us all to fight together and get over them.
Ladies and Gentlemen, if we keep our national and social coherence, I have the deep belief that by the end of 2013, the first tokens of recovery will be visible. We shall recover as economy, as society and as country, faster and more dynamically than many close –or less close- friends might think.
I would like you to embrace the Armed Forces, just like the Armed Forces embrace the entire Greek society. Congratulations for the initiative, be strong and fast at its implementation and be aware that you show the way for respective initiatives for the rest of the country.
My best wishes to you all”.
