The Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos, accompanied by the Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff General M. Kostarakos and the Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff Lieutenant General K. Ziazias, attended today the celebration for the Anniversary of the 180 ‘HAWK’ Guided Missiles Squadron at Kapandriti-Attica.

After the completion of the ceremony, Mr. Panaghiotopoulos inaugurated the Unit’s new Officers Club, by donation of the Kiriakopouolos family, in memory of General Othonas Kiriakopoulos, the first Commander of the 180 ‘HAWK’ Guided Missiles Squadron.

Mr. Paragiotopoulos addressed the attendees with the following speech:

“Respectable Fathers, with your blessings,

Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff,

Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff,

Former Chiefs,

Commander, our host here today,

Ms Kyriakopoulou

My old friend Panos Kiriakopoulos,

Ladies and Gentlemen who honour with your presence this ceremony

It is a special joy for me to be here. I feel that we share noble feelings and virtuous aspirations, that we are connected by the appreciation, the respect, and the love for the Armed Forces’ mission and, in this instance, for the mission and task of the 180 HAWK Guided Missiles Squadron which is the backbone of air defence in the basin of Attica.

We are experiencing difficult times. Perhaps we are living the most difficult days of the last 100 years for our country. Please allow me to have a moderate optimism, trusting in the Greeks’, men and women, DNA.

As nation, throughout history we have gone between Scylla and Charybdis. We were almost crushed between the hammer and the anvil, yet we did survive.

We have survived even worse circumstances. I believe that we can also do it now, and we can do it with pride, with inventive joy, with the flame of creativeness burning in our eyes, the flame igniting each time a Greek man and woman feel that they are against great and difficult slopes.

The Armed Forces are a distinguished part of the Hellenic people. I am aware of the situation, since I come from a simple Greek family and, before entering politics, I worked for 21 years getting my pension credits every day. I am aware of the fact that as we are talking, the Hellenic people have weighed down by the sacrifices, the cuts, the privation, the reduction of their incomes.

I am aware that all these problems wave also affected the families of the people serving in the Armed Forces. However I am certain, and this certitude is confirmed day by day, that within the Armed Forces all of you, from the Chiefs to the most remote soldier serving his military service, have disengaged this difficult routine from the performance of your duties.

This shouldn’t mean that the leaderships, but also the rest of society, shouldn’t do whatever is possible, whatever we can, in order to facilitate the Armed Forces’ mission.

Today, we are before such an example. The Kiriakopoulos family has decided to make an important donation to the Guided Missiles Squadron, in memory of their father – whom I had the honour of meeting since I know Panos Kiriakopoulos since our college years – the ever memorable General Othonas Kiriakopoulos who, at the grade of Lieutenant General begun, along with his colleagues, and established this Guided Missiles Squadron.

I believe that the initiative by the Kiriakopoulos family is a special deed, one that shows at the same time the way that should be followed by the ones who feel that, during difficult times, can still offer to the Armed Forces.

One of the main targets we should bear in mind, and I can assure you that the new country’s Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is among those who have fully realised this primary initiative, is that – first of all – this financial crisis should not affect the Armed Forces, thus not to be transformed into a crisis of national sovereignty and security for this country.

The second thing is that this financial crisis must not break up the social cohesion of Hellenic society. The truth is that this crisis has injured social cohesion. This is the reason why we must make sure that a permanent damage will not occur.

I would like to congratulate the family for this initiative. I would like to wish and hope that this initiative will be followed by Hellenism inside or outside Greek borders.

I would also like to tell you that the intention of the Ministry’s of National Defence new leadership is to address Hellenism everywhere, and especially the Diaspora, and to ask them to stay by the Armed Forces, by the military part of our society. Because, I have already mentioned, provision for national sovereignty, national security and protection of the country’s national integrity should keep pace with the great national effort for restoration of Greek economy, progress, growth, protection of social cohesion.

Also please allow me to clarify something at this point. The Armed Forces are not beseeching. The Hellenic Armed Forces are proud and dignified.

It is us who need to stand by the Armed Forces, just as the Armed Forces, as part of the Hellenic people, stand by the country, the nation, Hellenic society.

I would like to point out that it is a special honour for me to make my first visit at this Unit, accompanied by the leadership. It is a special honour for all of us to have among us former chiefs, current and former higher Staff Officers, whom I will personally greet after the completion of this celebration.

Moreover I would like, Commander, to ask you to convey my warmest greetings, my love, my respect and appreciation for the way you perform your mission and duty, to all the Officers, NCOs, men and women, as of course to the soldiers in your Unit.

You should know that we all think of you. You should know that we all love you. You should know that we honour you and we will do our best so as to assist you in this difficult, yet so important for the country, mission.

Thank you very much”.