The handover ceremony between the outgoing and the new political leadership of the Ministry took place at the Ministry of National Defence.

At the beginning of the ceremony, a minute of silence was held to the memory of the two Officers who tragically died while participating in an exercise in Spain.

The outgoing Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias stated during the handover ceremony:  

“We welcome today at the Ministry of National Defence Mr. Panos Kammenos, the Leader of the “Independent Hellenes” party and new Minister of National Defence, the Alternate Minister Mr. Kostas Isichos and the Deputy Minister Mr. Nikos Toskas.

Unfortunately today’s handover ceremony takes place amidst a three day mourning period which has been declared in the Armed Forces due to the tragic accident of the Hellenic Air Force jet crash.

It is an accident that shocked us, and I would like to express once more my deepest grief for the death of two young officers, as well as my warmest heartfelt condolences to their families.

We also mourn for all the victims of the tragedy and we express our solidarity to our friends and allies, who count their own losses.

This horrible accident painfully reminds us that the price for Defence is often high. It also reminds us that the Armed Forces perform their duty day and night, with hard work, sacrifices, danger, bravery, faith and devotion to their country.

As far as the handover is concerned, I would like to assure the new political leadership of the Ministry of National Defence that the effectiveness of the Armed Forces remains at the highest possible levels, as I have had many times the opportunity to ascertain during my visits to formations and units.

Addressing the Armed Forces, I would like to send the message that this ascertainment and the way they face their difficulties make me feel and declare proud to have been their political leader.

It is an ultimate honour for me personally to have had the luck of experiencing the daily effort of officers, NCOs and conscripts, to defend their country’s territorial integrity and independence.

Besides, under these difficult circumstances, the Armed Forces –beside their mere military role – are by the Greek citizens’ side, advocates to necessity and adversity, as they proved in a glorious way at the rescue operation of the Norman Atlantic passengers.

As far as I am concerned, during this short period of time I attempted to be by the side of the Armed Forces’ personnel, to actively express the State’s interest, as well as the recognition of their important mission.

As I ascertained, with their daily practice and their important national contribution, they perform their mission in the best possible manner in the context of the constitution and in the name of the Greek people.

It is a recognition they should receive as soon as possible, in the form of material support, by fully restoring the salary of the personnel in the Armed Forces, as it has already begun, combined with the payment of back pay, based on the decision of the Hellenic Council of State, so as to lift the consequences of this important problem.

We also continued the policy of my predecessor, Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos, to recommence the shipbuilding programme for new missile torpedo boats and to ensure job posts in the Greek shipbuilding industry, and we also resolved problems concerning the payment of accruals to workers in the Shipyards of Elefsis.

Moreover, we promoted amidst a difficult financial circumstance, the enhancement of the Armed Forces’ means, saving at the same time money.

However essentially we sent the message to friends and possible allies that the women and men in the Armed Forces keep the national flag high. They are perfectly trained, and they perform their duty acting preventively to all plotting and contributing to making Greece an agent of geopolitical stability in the broader region. Within an environment of very high demands, we sent a message of certainty, self-confidence and power.

I would like to congratulate the military leadership, the Chief of the HNDGS Michail Kostarakos, as well as the Chiefs of the General Staffs of the Branches, the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General Evangelos Tournas and the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Christos Manolas, for the operational readiness of the Armed Forces and of all three branches individually, as well as for the impeccable cooperation towards resolving problems.

I would also like to warmly thank the outgoing Alternate Minister Ms Fofi Gennimata and the outgoing Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Ioannis Labropoulos, for our sincere cooperation for the benefit of our common goal.

Mister Ministers, the protection of territorial integrity and of Hellenism’s interests, is not negotiable for all of us and demands conditions of absolute unity and undisturbed national accord.

We owe to be, and we will be, your supporters and assistants, overcoming any ideological and party borderline.

Mister Minister, I wish to you the best of luck, with all my heart”.

The new Minister of National Defence, Panos Kammenos, underlined during his address:

“I would like to begin my address today at the handover ceremony expressing, first of all, my warmest condolences on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Government and the Greek people, through the Chief of HAGS to the Armed Forces, for the two pilots we lost yesterday…

We take over the Ministry keeping a three-day mourning period, during which the thought of all Greeks is with the personnel of the Armed Forces who fall in the line of duty, performing their mission, not only at times of war but also during peace.
       
Mr. Minister, Ms. Alternate Minister, Mr. Deputy Minister, I wish to thank you for your presence here today, in this ceremony, proving that the field of the Armed Forces is particularly important and it is not a place for political controversies, but a place that unites Greek people.

Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff, Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff, Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Generals, Admirals, Officers, NCOs, men and women of the Armed Forces, it is a special honour for me and also for the Alternate Minister and the Deputy Minister of National Defence to assume the political competence of the Ministry of National Defence today.

With respect to the fallen and the heroes of the Armed Forces, by worshipping and praying to the Virgin Mary, the defender general, and to the patron saints of the three Branches, by respecting the military flags, with a sense of responsibility, we are here to cooperate at a political level, respecting the regulations, the national planning and the independence of the Armed Forces and of their self-rule.

I wish to assure you that we will do our best to facilitate your work in order to defend our country’s national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security. In times of crisis, we will do our best to maintain the battle-worthiness of the Armed Forces with what the State can provide.

I want to apologise to the entire personnel of the Armed Forces for the financial attack they have been facing by the state and for the fact that the state overlooked – I might say – the implementation of judgments, like the one adopted by the Council of State.  

The first concern of the political leadership is to restore this injustice. I know that the Armed Forces, the personnel of the Armed Forces do not aim primarily at financial gains, but the state must respect their families who have been going through difficult situations after this financial attack they have been under.

We will do anything to find those financial resources which will help the Armed Forces to continue their work with new armament programmes and also by maintaining the existent ones.

Our aim is to reactivate the defence industry of our country. The reactivation of the Hellenic Aerospace Industry, the Hellenic Defence Systems, not only to satisfy the needs of the Armed Forces, but also to restore the defence industry as a strong export force which will help the Armed Forces.

Respecting the Alliance we will promote the signed contracts, we will also proceed with a cooperation on the new geopolitical map which is being shaped across the wider region, by confronting – apart from the already known risks and threats which the Armed Forces have been dealing with very well so far – also new threats which arise due to the developments, mostly in the Middle East, and are expanding quickly towards the Caucasus area and Central Asia. These threats constitute a military threat.

We think, therefore, that it is necessary to reconsider these new threats with you, to move on to new cooperations which will protect our country and will give us the possibility to delimitate our EEZ and to create the conditions needed for our country to be able to exploit its maritime mineral resources.

We will maintain our good relations and we will enhance them further with other non-NATO allied nations, in order to ensure those programmes which have been interrupted after the embargo which was imposed by the European Union and the USA against Russia. And this regards both the Hellenic Armed Forces and Cyprus.

We will listen carefully to the secret classified briefing which you will present us. I wish to assure you on behalf of Mr. Alternate Minister and Mr. Deputy Minister that the political leadership will stand by the military leadership. We want to assist your work. You have our total confidence and we want during the handover ceremony of the Ministry – when it takes place – to be able to look at you in the eyes.

Thank you very much.”