The Secretary General of the Ministry of National Defence Mr Antonios Ikonomou attended today, Wednesday 30 April 2025, as representative of the President of the Hellenic Government and the Minister of National Defence, the graduation ceremony of the Students of the 77th Training Series through physical attendance at the National Defence College.
During the ceremony, taking place at the Armed Forces Officers Club, the HMoND Secretary General awarded the students their diplomas.
Other attendants were the Chief of HNDGS General Dimitrios Choupis, the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras HN, the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General (Pilot) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, the Commandant of the National Defence College Lieutenant General Athanasios Sardellis, as well as representatives of the Hellenic Parliament, political parties, His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece, Security Forces and embassies.
In total, 53 students graduated, of whom 27 from the Army, 7 from the Navy, 6 from the Air Force, 1 from the Joint Corps, 1 from the Hellenic Police, 1 from the Fire Service, 1 from the Hellenic Port Authority – Coastguard, 3 Officers from the Republic of Cyprus, 2 Civilian Employees from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture, as well as 4 from allied states, meaning 2 from the Arab Republic of Egypt, 1 from the Republic of North Macedonia and 1 from Bosnia – Herzegovina.
During his address, Mr Ikonomou referred to the pressing need of our times for Armed Forces’ members with expertise, astute and with a strategic way of thinking, for the countering of complex threats but also new challenges, like hybrid threats, energy competitions and climate insecurity. He stressed that the National Defence College has been and continues to be a pillar to that effort, so that the present and future leaders of the Armed Forces, will be able to assess developments and make, through collective and rapid procedures, conscientious and targeted decisions for the safeguarding and promotion of the national strategic interests.
