The Minister of National Defence, Mr. Nikos Dendias, inaugurated today, Saturday 7 September 2024, the Pavilion of the Ministry of National Defence at the 88th Thessaloniki International Fair, accompanied by the Chief HNDGS General Dimitrios Choupis, the Secretary General of the Ministry of National Defence Antonios Oikonomou, the Chief HAGS Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief HNGS Vice Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras and the Chief HAFGS Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis.
The Minister of National Defence had also a tour at the pavilion’s exhibition spaces.
The Ministry of National Defence participates in this year’s Thessaloniki International Fair, with the pivotal message being: “Powerful Greece – Security and Welfare for all”.
The Ministry of National Defence’s Pavilion was visited by the Prime Minister Kontantinos Mitsotakis, the President of the Hellenic Parliament Konstantinos Tasoulas, the Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament Georgios Georgantas, Deputy Ministers, the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Group of New Democracy Stavros Kalafatis and Members of the Parliament.
The Mayor of Thessaloniki Stelios Angeloudis, the Most Venerable Metropolitan Filotheos of Thessaloniki, the Chief of the Fire Service Lieutenant General Theodoros Vagias, as well as the General Director of GDDIA Ioannis Bouras were also present. The Chief of the Cypriot National Guard General Staff was represented by Colonel Andreas Prodromou.
The Minister of National Defence in his address stated the following:
“First of all, allow me to thank the colleagues from the Government and the Hellenic Parliament that honour us today with their presence; I am not addressing to Chiefs of General Staffs, since they are my co-hosts at our Pavilion.
Moreover, I would like to thank all non-Ministers and non-Members of the Hellenic Parliament, who are here with us today, and it is a great pleasure for us to welcome you in our Pavilion, the Pavilion of the Ministry of National Defence at the 88th Thessaloniki International Fair. A fair that, as you know, represents an annual institution for the Greek economy.
The Ministry of National Defence participates in this significant event with the motto: “Powerful Greece – Security, Welfare for All”. A message that reflects the mission of the Armed Forces and the Ministry; such a constitutionally dominant mission.
Because it is generally accepted, and we all know that, that Greece may not prosper, without being safe. And the safety of every Greek man and woman is the mission of the Armed Forces and constitutes top priority for Mitsotakis’ Government.
The first Government, with my friend and colleague since school years Nikos Panagiotopoulos being Minister of National Defence, has come a long way. Major agreements have been concluded on the procurement of systems to support the Armed Forces.
However, the world has changed a lot since 2019 and not for the better. The war in the world is back and especially in our region, a series of wars is going on around us, thus creating the need to move farther and faster.
And this is not a policy choice made by a Government, a Minister or a Ministry; it is a need for national survival.
I have said more than once that we are not fortunate enough to be situated in a geographic location similar to Luxembourg’s. Responding to the challenges, we have planned and implement the “Agenda 2030”, what the Greek Prime Minister described as the greatest reform of the Armed Forces in the history of our Country.
The objective is to establish an integrated security and defence system that will safeguard the Country’s interests, reinforce our position in the international scene, contribute to the economic development of Greece, based on six axes:
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Reorganization of the structure of the Armed Forces;
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Continuation, acceleration, optimization of armament programmes;
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Modern conscription and reserve model;
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Care towards the Armed Forces’ permanent personnel;
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Promotion of defence diplomacy, and finally
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Strengthening, restructuring, upgrading of the national defence industry and creation of a defence ecosystem for the development of innovation and technology and establishment of the Hellenic Innovation Center.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let’s be honest with each other. Our Country should not be satisfied with the fact that the participation of the defence industry – our defence ecosystem – in the GDP amounts to barely 0.6% – 0.7% of the Gross Domestic Product, when the Country spends on defence over 3% of the Gross Domestic Product.
This discrepancy over the years, for many years, constitutes a major challenge that requires an integrated strategically-guided approach.
Our plan is to create a powerful, viable ecosystem of defence industries that will allow the substantial participation of such ecosystem in the increase of the Gross Domestic Product.
And we should take advantage of a favourable situation. The European Union, as a result of Russian invasion of Ukraine, is determined and allocates significant amounts of money to Defence.
Therefore, we have to prepare for this reality and to absorb part of these amounts and to insist on something that I repeat again and again even at international fora: to stop this absurdity; defence spending should not be counted towards deficit and debt.
These two aims of the European Union are mutually completely incompatible. The European Union should return to logic.
And as far as we, the Greeks, are concerned, we should change direction; we are changing direction.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we should stop purchasing weapon systems only from foreign sellers. We have spent since 1974 hundreds of millions. From 1974 to 2010, the Country, the Greek taxpayer has spent over 254 billion euro in armaments. With a slight imprint on the development of the national economy.
Hence, in the field of armament programmes, planning and implementation now takes place by drawing up a Long-term Defence Equipment Planning for 12 years. This is the basic legislative provision, and that is the provision that we comply with. We know where we are going and where we shall stand for the following 12 years. To be honest, we also know beyond this timeline.
Moreover, I made the investment of an amount of expenditure from armament programmes in the Greek defence economy to the Greek defence industry obligatory and I have given the relevant standing orders to the General Directorate for Armaments.
Each armament programme should seek a Greek subcontractor and we should be able to increase as much as possible and in any event the percentage of such subcontracting.
In addition, we have taken another significant step; perhaps the most significant from any other before. We are trying to create for the first time in our History a defence innovation ecosystem.
The Hellenic Innovation Center that was established some time ago, along with the also newly established branch of transformation, innovation and defence technology of the Armed Forces, promotes the incorporation of innovation into the Armed Forces. In other words, the possibility to deal with new challenges at a reasonable cost.
The Hellenic Innovation Center, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a tool to utilize the most brilliant minds of the Hellenism, either within the Country or abroad. It implements a specific plan, a strategic plan of programmes and development worth 166 millions of euro with regard to specific areas specified by the General Staffs. A plan that is specifically focused on challenges.
And also, its funding is guaranteed by appropriations. 38.5 million euro for 2024 and thereafter, for each year, because I have reserved 1.5% of the defence budget just for these programmes.
Furthermore, now in the Autumn, we shall proceed with the creation for the first time of a defence startups incubator in the building of the Air Defence Fund at Sokratous Street. The potential of this ecosystem is enormous, huge. The Anglo-Saxons say “The sky is the limit”.
And absolutely advanced systems have already appeared and believe it or not, they are in a production phase. I will refer to one, whose existence has already leaked out. It is the “Centaur” anti-drone system. A product of cooperation between the Hellenic Innovation Center and the Hellenic Aerospace Industry. It is installed on the “PSARA” frigate that conducts operations in the Red Sea. It has passed all tests, let alone the ultimate test: the real combat conditions. You know that the frigate took down drones, enemy drones at the Red Sea.
The “Centaur” will be manufactured in numerous “units”. It will equip all Hellenic Navy MEKO-class frigates in the near future.
But the “Agenda 2030” also includes important reforms to personnel’s training, but also to draftees’ training. New military service, substantial upgrading of training, but also military service crucial for the life of draftees. We also promote the specialized training of the Armed Forces’ permanent personnel. New premises, new assets, new technology. And of course, we should take the wage issue seriously. We know that very well.
But this is not enough. We should change, we should also reform our Higher Schools. We should offer the students of Military Schools, which are now able to award PhD titles under the recently enacted law, the opportunity to follow a brilliant career. In this way, we will remedy what we have seen during the last general entrance examinations. The majority of young Greek people were not willing to enter the Military Schools and serve the Country, wearing the Greek Officer’s honoured uniform.
We are setting up a huge series of actions at all levels. Are you aware of our housing programme? 1.000 houses are already being built. A second phase will follow: another 1.000 and then another 1.000, so that Greek officers or members of the Armed Forces would have free accommodation at any place they are transferred by the Country, as in other advanced armies in the world, and the health care services provided to our members would also be upgraded. Armed Forces members should be able to be served by the wider national health system, apart from army hospitals and physicians.
The Ministry’s Pavilion, Ladies and Gentlemen, at the International Fair represents an opportunity for you, for our guests to get in touch with the Country’s Armed Forces. To get to know their work and their contribution in general to society, but also the career prospects that they offer. And I should like to congratulate the personnel that set up this pavilion.
This year, Germany is the official guest country. We are linked to Germany with partnership and friendship ties; a long friendship within the framework of NATO and the European Union. But since Germany is the honoured country, I would like to stress the commonplace assertion that the weapon systems transferred by a NATO member state, like Germany, to another member state should be allowed to be used against an allied country. Such a prohibition should be clearly defined.
Concluding, the country moves forward safely and in confidence in the 21st century. As soon as we complete the implementation of “2023 Agenda”, I can assure you with full knowledge and without any arrogance. Besides, the Armed Forces’ personnel should take the credit for this. They are the ones doing the work. So that the Country would have the most powerful Armed Forces in its history.
Thank you very much”.
