The Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos visited today, Friday 03 December 2021 Alexandroupolis, accompanied by the Chief HNDGS General Konstantinos Floros, where he attended the Distinguished Visitors Day at the premises of the Alexandroupolis Port Authority, within the framework of the provision of Host Nation Support during the deployment of US forces supporting the “ATLANTIC RESOLVE” operation.

The event was also attended by the elected members of the parliament representing Evros Messrs. Christos Dermentzopoulos, Anastasios Dimoschakis and Stavros Keletsis, the Vice-Governor of Evros Mr. Dimitrios Petrovits, the Mayor of Alexandroupolis Mr. Ioannis Zampoukis, the US Ambassador in Greece Mr. Geoffrey Pyatt, the Chief HAGS Lieutenant General Charalampos Lalousis, the Chairman of the Port Authority of Alexandroupolis Mr. Konstantinos Chatzimichail and the Deputy Commanding General of V Corps Major General Matthew Wegenen.

In his address, Mr. Panagiotopoulos highlighted the following:

“Ladies and Gentlemen,

With a feeling of deep satisfaction we are at the Port of Alexandroupolis once again on the occasion of the Distinguished Visitors Day for “Atlantic Resolve 21” Exercise.

And this satisfaction is strengthened given that it is the third time since July 2020 that we participate in similar events in the context of respective exercises; fact that highlights the strategic nature and the ever-increasing strategic nature of the Port of Alexandroupolis. It also underlines the commitment of the Greek and the US Government to deepen and expand even further their strategic defence partnership and cooperation.

As a result of this cooperation, the Port’s operability has been significantly improved and now large vessels may dock at the port, as is demonstrated by the presence of the support vessel “INDEPENDENCE” and other ships before that, that carried the Forces and the materials being lined up in the port’s area. It is one of the largest vessels that has called at Alexandroupolis and that also signals the new opportunities and infrastructure supporting initiatives and activities on the financial growth not only of Alexandroupolis, but also of the entire region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, of Northern Greece.

I do not know if you have noticed, but just outside the security perimeter there is another large ship unloading wheat; in the past it would not get near the port and do this job – you know that Mr. Chairman. This and other things too are happening here on a day to day basis; these are facts that we see with our eyes and prove the huge potential for the port’s financial growth thanks to this initiative.

Alexandroupolis, due to the geostrategic location of its Port, may attract large investments including new infrastructure projects on piers, the installation of a floating storage regasification unit, the interconnection both to the railway network and to the Egnatia Road and the planned extension of the NATO fuel Pipe in the region. These investments create a new dynamic and boost the financial activity, new job posts and benefits for our country. And like I said, this prospect is most obvious and visible to the naked eye.

As I have already had occasion to stress in the past, the transport infrastructure and the road network of the wider region create the conditions for the port of Alexandroupolis to become a strategic hub in a vertical axis to the North, through the rapid transport of persons and goods, fact that is particularly important amongst other things for Europe’s energy security.

This day’s activity, just like the one yesterday, the first delivery of US M1117 armored security vehicles that we attended out of totally 1200 ones that took place in Athens is the latest in a series of activities in the field of defence cooperation between Greece and the USA; a cooperation of a strategic nature and mutually beneficial, which is driven by the aim of both countries to contribute in a meaningful way to the security, stability and prosperity of the entire region.

The strategic relationship between Greece and the USA is based on strong ties over time between our countries and our people and on common values. The recent conclusion of the Amendment Protocol to this Mutual Defence Cooperation Agreement in Washington by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both countries upgrades our relations even more, on one hand in the light of increasing our Armed Forces’ interoperability and on the other hand, safeguarding and mutually protecting our countries’ security, sovereignty and territorial integrity against actions threatening peace. At this point, I would like to highlight the contribution of the Military Leadership, the Ministry’s Political leadership and the US Ambassador and his associates to the recent conclusion of the amendment to the Defence Agreement, which is mainly an agreement of a defence nature, hence the contribution of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of National Defence.

I would also like to give emphasis to the Ambassador’s contribution to this huge project; both to the strengthening of the strategic cooperation between Greece and the USA in the defence sector and to what happens here in Alexandroupolis…

Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests,

Today we came to Alexandroupolis to witness the largest operation on the transfer of military equipment and personnel through the Port of Alexandroupolis thus far. I hope there will be more coming, but this is the largest thus far.

It’s a significant military logistics operation, not only by Greek but also by American standards. But more important, it demonstrates very clearly the essence of the strategic relation between our two countries, especially in the domain of defence cooperation. Allow me to stay please and I believe that truly: that this relationship is not a relationship of convenience or coincidence, but a relationship resulting from conviction. A conviction of shared ideals and ideas, that of democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of economic activities, the rule of law that bind us together. A conviction of shared values over which in various historical points in time we even got to fight next to each other, always on the same camp, because we have always tried to defend those shared values.

So now we find ourselves at the port of Alexandroupolis on this I would say beautiful day, it turned out much much better than we expected, you always bring the good weather with you Mr. Ambassador.

And we witness the flourishing of this reinforced and ever improving strategic relationship. This is something that happens almost on a daily basis and it stands to prove how far we’ve come, but also it works as a motive for all of us to work even harder on this goal. As I said yesterday, if you may recall, the best is yet to come.

So congratulations to everybody involved and let’s keep on working on it.

Eastern Mediterranean is a region of major strategic importance, offering increased prospects and opportunities for stability, development and prosperity. At the same time however, it is accompanied by security challenges and threats that need to be faced in unison and based on a plan.

Greece is a reliable, powerful and consistent Ally and a Pillar of Stability in the wider region of Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and Northern Africa.

The cooperation and initiatives that we develop with other countries in our region are based above all on International Law and the principles of good neighborliness. At the same time though, Greece has always had the readiness and the opportunities to defend its sovereignty and its sovereign rights and it will act so with determination and effectively wherever required. And I have said this in the past, but let me say it one more time. Alexandroupolis, and what is happening now in Alexandroupolis, is not of an aggressive nature against anyone. And any such remarks are ridiculous. But at the same time, I should repeat this. That Greece, on these grounds, is not threatening anyone, but at the same time Greece does not like to be threatened by anyone. For this reason, we pull some strings. There is no simpler way to put this. We intensify our diplomatic effort; an effort towards any direction. We intensify our efforts in the field of defence and military cooperation, synergies with friendly and allied countries; we strengthen our alliances, but at the same we do what we have to do to strengthen in general our Armed Forces’ deterrence power.

Therefore, today here in Alexandroupolis, it is proved in practice that Greece and the USA, the USA and Greece, have been committed and have the will to deal effectively with the challenges and threats and to safeguard security and stability in the wider region, as providers of security and stability. The strengthening of our strategic defence relationship armors after all both countries against any threat and indeed supports peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, but also in our wider region.

Thank you for your attention”.