Officers, NCOs, Privates, Seamen, Airmen, National Guards and Civilian Personnel,
Today, on November 21, on the day when we celebrate one of the greatest Orthodox feasts, the Entrance into the Temple of the Theotokos, we also honour our country’s Armed Forces, as a small acknowledgement of their continuous contribution to the Greek nation and our Homeland.
We honour the battles of the Greek nation across the centuries, the protection of the great values of freedom and democracy and, above all, we honour the famous and the unknown heroes who fell on the battlefields demonstrating their courage against all those who threatened the freedom of Greece. It is these heroes that the Ministry of National Defence, particularly today, commemorates by recognising their contribution to our nation and country.
We also honour the current generation of the Armed Forces as well, who serves every day and night, under any circumstances, in the mainland of our country, on our islands, at the Greek seas and skies and proves in every case that, apart from an excellent training, they also have a spirit of genuine patriotism and self-sacrifice. It is the generation of personnel who have sacrificed and still sacrifice their own lives to defend our nations’ ideals.
Women and Men of the Armed Forces,
The Greek people and government show you trust and honour, because you have dedicated your lives to serve the supreme good which is not other than the territorial integrity and the national independence of this land. And we thank you for that.
Powerful Armed Forces increase the diplomatic and defence power, on the one hand, and they send the messages that characterise our nation, messages of peace, friendship and cooperation, yet also of determination to defend our national rights.
Our Armed Forces, in addition to their main role of serving as a deterrence force that defends our national sovereignty, they also contribute – through the European and Euro-Atlantic defence and security structures – to the international stability, security and prosperity.
Thus, Greece establishes a strong and forceful presence in international politics and becomes a pillar of stability, peace and democracy in the wider area of the South-eastern Mediterranean.
In parallel, our permanent action to the benefit of the community, in cases of natural disasters, fires, search and rescue, air evacuations, as well as your contribution to works of road building, terrain improvement and repair of damages, raises the morale of the Greek people and reinforces their bonds with local communities.
Moreover, your immediate and decisive assistance in the refugees’ issue showed everyone that Greece is rightly acknowledged as a light of humanitarianism in the world.
I would also like you to know, as I always stress it, that, despite the difficult financial situation which torments you and your families, we are trying, in cooperation with the military leadership, to solve the current problems which concern you, always through a rational use of the allocated resources with meritocracy and transparency.
Women and Men of the Armed Forces,
today our country is flagrantly challenged, not only by the invaders of Cyprus who called even the Treaty of Lausanne into question, yet also by historically unproved verbal contributions of various foreign officials.
Our personnel and conscripts, devoted to the oath they have taken to defend our land are the answer to anyone who threatens our nation’s ideals.
Loyal to the values of the Greek civilization, we assure Greek people that the Armed Forces who are a key factor of national power, a source of strength and pride for everybody, stand up to their expectations and serve our country which organizes its present and builds its future with optimism, faith and hope.
I wish Virgin Mary, patron saint of the Armed Forces, to give strength to all of you, your families and the Greek nation.
Long live the Armed Forces!
Long live our nation!
