“I’d like to make a couple of comments on the matter of the modification, which was said to be introduced in Parliament despite the fact that the submission of modifications had not been agreed during the discussion at the Committee; however, since it too regulates certain matters that must be regulated and since it can’t be further postponed, it is introduced today for voting.

First of all, how does the establishment of the position of National Coordinator to address and manage the migration – refugee issue included in the first article of the modification and the establishment of a Single Border Surveillance Authority comprising personnel from three Ministries, i.e. Armed Forces personnel (Ministry of National Defence), Coast Guard personnel (Ministry of Shipping), and police officers (Ministry of Citizen Protection) constitute an “army in the army”, for which I should resign in protest?

How did you get to this? That’s what you got from the establishment of a Single Border Surveillance Authority? What is happening and will always happen, at least concerning this Political Leadership, is that the Ministry of National Defence does avoid the burden and responsibility; on the contrary, it undertakes any additional burden and responsibility necessary to protect the security of the external borders, as well as home security.

That’s what was asked from us, that’s what we do, and we will do more if asked. And you’ll see soon – if you have the patience and the good will – the improvement in border control and home security.

And another thing, because you were too fast to judge: if you follow my activity and not just the purchases of tyres at the border, where someone in an emergency may go to Turkey to buy a spare for a jeep, you will see that about a month ago, in an event I attended about UAVs, I talked about the Hellenic UAV programme.

We are buying right now. We are in negotiations with the US government for three UAVs with strategic surveillance capabilities, from the Black Sea to Libya. And don’t tell me that we shouldn’t conduct surveillance operations as far as Libya, given the latest developments, but only from Evros to Crete.

The Governmental Council on Foreign Policy and National Defence has already qualified (and the matter will be brought to the Armaments session as a separate subprogramme) a programme for two additional Israeli UAVs for reasons, among others, of boosting the military relationship with these two countries, if you will.

But, in order also to use Greek talent and ingenuity, I personally have repeatedly had contacts with the Research Team of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with professors and students who have developed three or four UAV prototypes.

I have announced the production of the Hellenic UAV, given also the fact that, as of the following programme period, we will have many financing opportunities to develop co-production programmes of our own UAVs with EU funds.

In summer, another prototype will fly somewhere in Thessaly and, as time goes by, we will have even greater results from this original research effort by Greek professors and students. But this time the Ministry and its Political Leadership will embrace this effort.

We have the talent, we have the research product, the prototype, the funding opportunities, the Defence Industry; with a specific schedule and a road map, we will soon have the Hellenic UAV.

It took Turkey fifteen years to develop its own programme, you know it. They started in 2001 and finished recently. So, it will take some time. But, since we have the capabilities, as I said all the pieces of the puzzle are there and we only have to put them in place with our efforts and initiatives, I believe that our effort will produce results much sooner. The rest will be addressed during the discussion for the Bill we introduce today”.