Officers,

NCOs,

Soldiers, Seamen, Airmen,

National Guard members, Civilian personnel,

Women and Men of the Armed Forces,

As I am leaving today the Ministry of National Defence, after the completion of the caretaker Government’s mission, I would like to thank you for the great efforts you make and for your contribution to the difficult daily task you accomplish. A task we should all be proud of.

With this disposition for offering and self-denial you show every day, you justify the respect, the love and the trust that the Hellenic people embrace you with.

I assumed the responsibility of the Armed Forces’ political leadership at a critical time for our country’s course. During this short period I was at this post, I was given one more chance to cooperate once more with many of you, with which we have coexisted and collaborated, with seriousness and responsibility, enhancing the efficiency of the Armed Forces.

In an environment of high demands and obligations we sent out a message of certainty, self-confidence and strength to all directions, as well as of social sensitivity towards the suffering groups of the Hellenic society.

I would like to underline that despite the difficult fiscal circumstance Greece is experiencing, our country disposes one of the best defence systems, fully equipped and with excellent personnel, who respect and honour the Constitution and are exclusively devoted to their mission, which is to ensure territorial integrity and national independence.

We have the power and ability to project exactly what we are. And I always refer to the silent, potent military power which is not only a deterrent factor, but also a stability agent in the broader area. This is the role our country deserves.

I am absolutely certain that the new political leadership is fully aware and deeply conscious of reality and that they will find jointly with the military leadership, solutions and ways to bring out the human dimension which is decisive for the preservation of effectiveness and morale. I believe that the difficult circumstances, as far as the financial reality is concerned, demand that we are deeply human.

Our first priority should be to ensure the dignity of our personnel, which has experienced severe salary cuts. Under no circumstances should the spirit and high morale be confused with the requirement for dignified living of the Armed Forces personnel’s families, who have had, still have, and always will have faith in their duty, high morale and spirit.

It is also essential to preserve the efficiency of our army, to maintain our sophisticated armaments at excellent condition as far as operability is concerned, and highly available. That is to ensure their maintenance, spare parts, ammunition and fuel.

As I had said when I had assumed my duties, no thoughts are made by anyone of us, for any possible compromise in matters of national sovereignty, nor any slippage to matters pertaining to geopolitics and geostrategy, notwithstanding the difficult financial circumstances our country experiences, for what is lost in the field of national sovereignty can hardly be retrieved.

Being fully aware of our country’s capabilities, I would like to wish to the new Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panaghiotopoulos and to the two Deputy Ministers, Mr. Panayiotis Karambelas and Mr. Dimitrios Elefsiniotis, the best of luck in the difficult mission they assume, and I am certain that you will all continue with the same faith and devotion, for the benefit of the Armed Forces and the Country. We will overcome the difficulties. Greece will find its course once more.

As least sign of honour and respect, I bent the knee before the military flags and the immortal memory of the deceased at this Nation’s struggles in all centuries, and the fallen at duty during peacetime.

“COURAGE IS NEEDED, MAYBE TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER”, which governs all generations of Greeks was the nudge goddess Athena gave to Odysseus when the Greeks were disappointed after a 10-year long siege of Troy, with no results.