On Friday, 19 July 2019, the Minister of National Defence Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, accompanied by the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General (HAF) Christos Christodoulou, met with his Cypriot counterpart, Mr. Savvas Angelides, within the framework of his official visit to Cyprus, which is his first visit abroad following his taking office.
The reception ceremony at the Cypriot National Guard General Staff was followed by bilateral contacts and a private meeting between the two Ministers.
The statement made by the Minister of National Defence to the journalists:
“Defence Minister of Cyprus,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I’d like to thank you for your warm reception and hospitality.
From the first moment, I felt like I was among brotherly friends.
After recently taking office as Minister of National Defence, visiting Cyprus was my first priority and choice. I followed tradition. I would like to convey to you personally the deep feelings of friendship and mutual respect of Greece and assure you that we are together and share the Cypriot people’s efforts and security challenges.
During my first meeting with the Honourable Defence Minister of Cyprus, Mr. Savvas Angelides, we discussed many matters, such as the resolution of the Cyprus issue on the basis of a comprehensive, fair, mutually accepted, viable solution, as well as the constantly increasing Turkish provocativeness and illegal behaviour, both in Hellenic and Cypriot territory.
Turkish illegal behaviours leave no room for complacency and requires maximum alertness to secure our territorial integrity and sovereign rights.
Consequently, we are concerned, but not afraid. We do not lower our guard, we stay alert.
We follow closely and with great concern the illegal and contrary to International Law actions by Turkey in the demarcated Exclusive Economic Zone and the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus. We condemn these destabilising actions by Ankara which are, on one hand, a direct violation of the sovereign rights of a European Union member state, i.e. the Republic of Cyprus, and, on the other hand, a great test to the reliability of the European Union’s deterrence and its ability to secure our joint energy and political interests in the East Mediterranean.
Regarding our bilateral defence relations, we focused on the great importance of the Intergovernmental Defence Council between the two states, whose establishment further upgrades our bilateral relations, since the decisions made guarantee our defence cooperation. The results of this cooperation are fundamental to the enhancement of the operational capabilities of our Armed Forces and the support of their deterrent power.
Moreover, we discussed about the trilateral cooperation schemes in which we both participate, as well as the possibility to enlarge them in order to further promote our defence relations with countries in the region.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In conclusion, I’d like to refer to the reason for my visit, the most tragic day in the modern history of Cyprus and Hellenism in general, the barbarous Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July 1974, and say that I am here to pay my respects to the place where our heroes, Greek Cypriots and Greeks, shed their blood and fell defending Hellenic territory. It was the least I could do on behalf of Greece and the new Greek Government.
Finally, I would like to express everyone’s pride for the presence of the Hellenic Contingent in Cyprus on the island which, with its high professional and national readiness, proves in the most imperative way that Greece has always stood, still stands, and will always stand beside Cyprus.
Thank you very much”.
The Minister of National Defence then went to the “House of the missing” in Pyrga, within the framework of the events for the 45th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and attended a memorial service for the missing and the fallen during the Turkish invasion.
