The Minister of National Defence, Panos Kammenos, accompanied by the military leadership, awarded the Diplomas to graduates of the 8th online learning training series of the Hellenic National Defence College. The graduation ceremony was held at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club.

A total of 103 Officers from the Armed Forces have graduated (63 from the Army, 25 from the Navy, 14 from the Air Force, 1 from Common Military Forces), 4 Officers from Security Forces (2 from the Hellenic Police, 1 from the Fire Brigade and 1 from the Harbor Police – Hellenic Coast Guard), 14 Officers from the National Guard General Staff, 1 Officer from the Security Forces of Cyprus and 3 permanent civilian staff members.

The Minister of National Defence, at his address, stated amongst others the following:

“I am especially delighted that I am given the opportunity to attend today the ceremony for the award of diplomas to graduates of the 8th Online Learning Training Series of the Hellenic National Defence College.

You are the leaders of tomorrow for the Armed Forces, the Police, the Fire Brigade, the Harbor Police, the Intelligence Services.

As I have said before, the Hellenic National Defence College is the Armed Forces’ postgraduate school of a joint nature; it is the supreme post-training procedure that is carried out on a joint basis within the Armed Forces.

As a result of the directives, the ongoing and timeless need arises for upgrading as much as possible the Hellenic National Defence College; for strengthening even further its already existing ties with international and national Higher Educational Institutes; for insisting in its postgraduate character, but also in the operation of the Department of International Studies, which has been particularly successful.

It is our desire for the officer who graduates from the Hellenic National Defence College to be a contemporary operational officer, with a joint conscience, perceiving all matters at an operational and strategic level.

We are investing in the scientific efficiency of the members of the Armed Forces, so that they would be able to pay a key role in the challenges of their profession at international level.

Furthermore, it is extremely important that through the joint training carried out at the Hellenic National Defence College, the members of the Armed Forces and Security Forces, the civilian staff of the Ministry of National Defence and the Public Sector in general, but also the Greek-Cypriot members of the Armed Forces are given the opportunity to have a commonplace in the subjects covered by their study courses.

This contributes to the promotion of jointness, interoperability and synergy, for the purpose of the coordinated offer to citizens from the Armed Forces and Security Forces. Moreover, it contributes to the strengthening of the ties of friendship and the deepening of our relationship with our Cypriot brothers, but also with other countries, whose members of the Armed Forces attend both the standard course and the department of international studies”.