The Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos attended the event organised by the Air War College at the Hall “Marinos Mitralexis” of the Hellenic Air Force, on “Balkan Wars 1912-1913: the Greek foray”.
The event was also attended by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Dimitrios Elefsiniotis, the former Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Dimitrios Apostolakis, the Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Vice Admiral Evaggelos Apostolakis, the Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff Lieutenant General (AF) Antonios Tsantirakis, the Honorary Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff Lieutenant General (AF-retd) Dimitrios Litzerakos, delegates of the Chiefs of General Staffs and Security Corps, the Commander of Hellenic Air Training Command Major General (AF) Konstantinos Spiroulias and delegates of Armed Forces’ and Security Corps’ Officers and NCOs.
Mr. Panagiotopoulos made the following address:
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to congratulate you on today’s event, on its holding and subject. We are a people who, in their course diachronically, have been sealed by history. Naturally, the saying that currently we cannot practice politics only looking back, namely history, always applies. However, at the same time something else applies as well, that we cannot make politics without history. And such events respond exactly to this.
This year is the 100th anniversary since the beginning of the Balkan Wars, an event that is among the most glorious in the history of Greece as well as the history of the Hellenic Armed Forces.
Before 1912 there was 1897. Our country went through a painful experience of a significant defeat, one of the most important and dishonorable defeats in the history of Greece. It only took the Nation a few years until it regained its lost self-confidence, until the Armed Forces were reorganized, until we rebuilt the Hellenic people’s morale so that they should all move forward and we accomplished the glorious triumph of the Balkan Wars, thus freeing Macedonia, freeing Thessaloniki and doubling Greece’s territory which, before the Balkan Wars, only got up to Melouna in Thessaly.
I believe that it is very useful to also accentuate the inner aspects of these events, since the people that had leading role in them, the leadership, the Armed Forces, the People, they are parts of our cell, we are their succession.
And as it has happened in the past, I see no reason for it not to happen at present or in the future.
Of course currently we do not conduct a war with military operations. Currently we participate in a war that was imposed on us; it is a “financial war”. It is a war with particularities and individualities, and it was imposed on us by the markets. In this particular war we must turn out winners, without striking the flag of the struggle, getting our goal clear, without leaving financial pressure and fiscal issues transforming into problems of national Security and National Sovereignty.
Currently the Armed Forces, which are a fine part of the Greek people, are once more at the frontline, assuming a great burden, an overwhelming load on their shoulders due to the cuts, necessary for the country so as it will progress once again.
We have disconnected the need to perform a duty from any justified complaint or reasonable protest. The Hellenic Armed Forces are proud and dignified. And they are the ones ensuring a supreme benefit, the country’s national security. Without having guaranteed this benefit, economy cannot function, no investments can be made nor can tourism or any other financial, commercial or social activity flourish.
This benefit is guaranteed by the Armed Forces, who will continue ensuring it thanks to their capable military leadership and personnel, men and women of all branches, in this instance of the Air force, who give a daily struggle under difficult circumstances.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that this country must come as fast as possible out of the fiscal trouble, since it is not acceptable for Greece to have currently, at the financial world, the image of a country that only has fiscal and financial problems. Other countries had similar problems in the past and other countries will have similar problems in the future. May I remind you that our neighbour, Turkey, which is not a member of the Eurozone and the European Union, was under IMF supervision few years ago.
What should be a priority for me, as political leadership, the Deputy Ministers and the military leadership, is to promote at all Fora, consciously and methodically, the fact that Greece is more than the image of its fiscal and financial problems.
If Greece has a characteristic image, made up of the elements belonging to its classic identity, that is Greek culture, history and, among others, the fact that it is a key country for the global security system and particularly the security system of western and Atlantic interests.
That is the choice made by the Greek people. This choice is also served by the Hellenic Armed Forces in the best possible way and this should recognised by everyone and especially our allies.
As political leaderships – I will say this schematically, in quotes – “we should sell “dearly” to our allies Greece’s essential contribution to the configuration of stability to a global security system, within a very unquiet regional zone, such as the one we are located in”.
Look what is happening around us. Consider the situation in the Middle East. Look at Syria or Iran. Think about the instability prevailing at the south-eastern borders of modern Turkey in relation to the Kurdish issue and other problems. Consider the extent and the way the situation in Lebanon and Jordan is destabilized due to the reversal of the situation in Syria. Reflect on the situation in Egypt that is going through a transitional, critical and important phase. Finally see the tension re-escalating after the latest activity at the Gaza strip. We should add here the reversal of the situation at the countries of Maghreb, as well as the fact that besides the governmental change in Libya, the country does not seem under control, order has not been restored yet by the new government and we should also add here the situation in the Sahel, Mali, Chad etc.
All these prove the importance Greece has today. Let us draw messages from the experience derived of the struggles given by our ancestors.
Let us draw wisdom from the way they handled Hellenism’s destiny during more troublous periods and let’s set straight that we are decided to win this bet as well.
We are decided to win this extraordinary financial war; because we can. Others are not better than us and we have proved so in the past. Let us repeat it once more.
However, before anything else, we must show devotion to duty, to discipline and to the structures; devotion to the country; participation in jointness; respect to discipline and, as for the rest, we will discover them together.
Because the country will quickly overcome these difficulties; a lot faster than some would believe. And when this time will come, we will go forward again.
I congratulate you all. Thank you very much, especially those coming from the Academic world, for their participation in such events.
I would like to tell you that it is an intention declared by the political leadership to multiply and enhance these events, since this is at the correct direction.
Thank you very much. Good luck and congratulations to all”.
