The Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos observed today the exercise “KYMA 5/12” (Wave 5/12), which took place on “Fleves” island by the Underwater Demolition Command.

The Minister of National Defence had the opportunity to speak with the participants in the exercise, which was also observed by Government Secretary General Mr. Panagiotis Baltakos, the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General Michail Kostarakos, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Kosmas Christidis, the Special Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence Mr. Antonis Oikonomou, the Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis and the Deputy Chief of COMHELFLEET Rear Admiral  Georgios Yiakoumakis.

After the completion of the exercise, Mr. Panagiotopoulos made the following statement:

“I would like to congratulate from the bottom of my heart the Command and the men serving at the Underwater Demolition Command, for this excellent military exercise they performed here, at Fleves Island. This exercise is a part of a general strategic planning which runs during this week and includes combined forces and all three services of the Armed Forces.

The personnel serving in Hellenic Navy Underwater Demolition, as well as the personnel serving in Special Forces of the other Hellenic Armed Forces’ services, have a glorious history of struggles and sacrifices for their Country and their duty.

In addition to my experience from the visit I paid to the Special Forces Training Centre at Megalo Pefko, once more I confirm today here at Underwater Demolition that the results are outstanding, operational readiness is upmost, deterrent capability is great, spirit is high and devotion to the duty, the oath they have taken to the Constitution, unconditional.

The country’s Armed Forces continue, under hard circumstances, to guarantee and ensure for all of us Sovereignty, National Independence and National Integrity and, above these all, National Security and peace, so that the entire Greek people, a special part of which are the Armed Forces, will be able to accomplish this great effort for National Salvation and National Reform.

I shake the hands of each one of you individually for completing this exercise and I congratulate the Command and the leadership for the task they perform every day”.