“It is with great pleasure that I would like to thank the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus and friend Savvas Aggelidis, as well as the Chief of the National Guard General Staff for the warm welcome during the bilateral meeting we had today.  Besides, as you realize, the meetings of the two Ministries of Defence is  no longer news. We are together all the time, either here or in Athens, in the context of exercises of our Armed Forces, we are in contact, since this is substantially our commitment.

The defence space of the nation is common including the borders of Greece and Cyprus.  Together we plan, together we decide, together we build the future, not only the future of the national stem of Greece and Cyprus, but because of the stability Greece and Cyprus have displayed in hard times in the wider area, we are building  a pillar of stability extended southwards to Egypt, eastwards to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon, but also northwards, through Greece, to the Balkan countries. 

  This axis of stability, in an area that is on fire, in the Mediterranean area, is of special significance for the allies and friends, conveying also a clear message to those who think or might think  to break down anytime our sovereignty rights, as well as our territorial integrity.
Greece and Cyprus jointly build the next day of peace in the wider area.  We are the nation that can freely discuss with Israel, enjoying at the same time the respect of the Arab nations.  We already speak the same language in the area.  The Greek people, either through Cyprus or through Greece, has  never been aggressive in the wider area.    
We have built alliances, we have created the conditions for peace and this occurs at a period that the role of Cyprus and Greece is upgraded in the energy field. This is especially significant for the future of our peoples.  It is not simply that Cyprus is a natural gas producing country, Greece is going to be one very soon too, but that we together create the energy hub that can solve the energy problem of the entire European Union.  

I would also like to mention that today is a special day for Greece. In a few hours we will be informed of the decision of the Eurogroup.  Greece is definitely coming out of the memoranda era, an era during which we relinquished our national sovereignty, a period that cost too much to the Greek people.  Young women and men went abroad, families impoverished, whereas companies shut down.  Many Greeks, women and men, suffered hunger.

After the sacrifices made by the Greek people, we have now reached the point of exit from the memoranda era.  This is going to offer us the capability to cope  in a much better way in respect to the strengthening of the defence capabilities of the two countries.   

It is this day then that I would like to thank the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Greece, as well as of Cyprus that suffered a similar  period of crisis, since despite the continuous reductions in  their salaries, despite the curtailments of the budgets of the Ministries of Defence, due to their high morale, their professionalism, their faith to the homeland they managed to keep the deterrence force of our two countries , of our one nation standing.  They achieved to send a message of stability building cooperation and conveying the message that together we can get over everything.  

The area needs peace. Tomorrow, we are ready, in the context of a tripartite cooperation, with the Minister of Defence of Israel to proceed to the beginning of a new period in which along with the Minister of Defence of Cyprus we are going to build with countries of the Middle East and the Balkans.

I would like to especially thank him for the warm welcome. I especially thank him, because I would like to confess to the media, that  he is  maybe the only person, the only Minister, who calls me every week to ask about our two officers who are kept as prisoners, hostages in Turkey, showing his concern as a human being, and this is of great significance.    

The continuation of the illegal detention of the two servicemen of the Hellenic Armed Forces in Turkey, the continuation of  their captivity and hostage situation is a huge proof that Turkey is the country violating the international law, the international agreements, the rules of Democracy.
This is something sensed by all the allied countries watching the illegal detention of pastor Branson who is also kept as a hostage in order  to be exchanged with Gülen who is  in the United States of America.  You all have to be certain that it is not only Greece and Cyprus protesting to the International Organisations, but all the countries of the wider alliance of the European Union and NATO, as well as non NATO countries.  They realize that Turkey violates the international airspace, the territorial waters, challenging and violating the principles of Law.

We would like Turkey to follow another route, the route leading to Europe, the route of respect of the human rights, the route of peace.  This is going to be advantageous for all the peoples.  In case, though, it dares to set in dispute our sovereignty rights, anytime, it should know that the respond will be smashing.

Thank you very much”.