The Minister of National Defence, Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, accompanied by the Chief HNDGS – General Christos Christodoulou, the Chief HNGS – Vice Admiral Nikolaos Tsounis and the Chief HAFGS – Lieutenant General Georgios Blioumis, visited -in view of the Christmas season- Units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force in Skyros, Lemnos and Kastanies – Orestiada, Evros.

At first, the Minister visited the 135 Combat Wing in Skyros, where he had discussions and exchanged wishes with the crews and the technicians of Readiness Aircrafts. Immediately after, he visited the radar of the 7th Control and Warning Station Squadron and the Naval Station of Skyros.

Then, the Minister of National Defence visited by helicopter the “NAVARINON” Frigate, acting as a guard-ship in the Northern Aegean Sea, where he exchanged wishes with the crew.

After that, Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos went to Lemnos, where he visited the Readiness Aircrafts of the 130 Air Combat Group, the 8th Control and Warning Station Squadron, the 88th Military Command and the Naval Station of Lemnos.

The last stop of the visit by the Minister of National Defence to Armed Forces Units was the Surveillance Outpost “1” in Kastanies – Evros, at the border with Turkey, which belongs to the 3rd Mechanized Brigade “RIMINI”, where he had discussions and exchanged wishes with the military personnel.

At the end of his visit to the Surveillance Post “1”, Mr. Panagiotopoulos made the following statement:

“I have just completed my visit to the Surveillance Post 1 of the 503 Infantry Battalion in Kastanies – Evros, at the northeasternmost end of Greece. Along with the Military Leadership, we had the joy of making a tour in the Northern Aegean Sea this morning. We went to Skyros and Lemnos, where we visited the Readiness Units with the pilots of our Air Forces and then, we came here – in Evros – where I had the opportunity of meeting the personnel of the Armed Forces, which on a daily basis – and in a daily situation of high tensions and constant pressure – copes with its duty and is actually the watchmen on our walls.

I should like to thank them for everything they are doing; for fulfilling their mission, consisting in the protection of our country’s territorial integrity, in full and making all Greek men and women feel safe. And anyone can feel that here, at the borders in Evros, better than anywhere else.

I had the opportunity of being informed by the Police Director about the progress in the surveillance of borders by joint Army and Police teams, which are patrolling the area alongside the borders, and see for myself the robust equipment in logistical means of surveillance even here, the Outpost observing the movements alongside the land borders of Evros; and all this was an extremely informative, learning and honoring experience I would say for me.

Our mission, as the Military and Political Leadership, is to enable men and women, the members of the Armed Forces, to do their work as best as they can. And this involves our interventions in terms of adequacy and upgrading of equipment, weapon systems, but also interventions that have to do with better conditions for the personnel”.

JOURNALIST: “Are you satisfied with the Ministry’s budget?”

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: “Rumors has it recently that the Ministry of National Defence’s Budget – the Defence expenditure – is reduced compared to previous year. First of all, that is completely false and untrue. And anyone can see that if he/she looks back at the size of the Budget of this year and 2020.

The 2020 Budget for defence expenditure is slightly increased, without taking into consideration the Prime Minister’s announcements at the Parliament the other day, about the allocation of additional funds to Defence, upon enough recommendations on my part and on the part of the Military Leadership that now is the perfect time for the upgrading of our Armed Forces, for allocating more funds for their upgrading.

It is a pity for people belonging to political parties and making public speeches to allow themselves to be swayed by publications – either mischievous or just misinformed – that the Defence Budget is reduced, in order to create an impression.

I repeat that it is not. It has three parts: one involving the Personnel’s remuneration that is slightly increased; one that involves Armaments that remains at the same level (but as I have already said, following the Prime Minister’s announcements, funds for Defence will be increased) and the one involving the operating budget; in other words, the maintenance, supply, support expenses for all Armed Forces that appear to be on one hand reduced by 48 million, but on the other hand, this will not take place actually, since a Special Reserve of the Ministry of Economy is being institutionalized, which “draws” in a way some funds from Ministries that present under-implementations of Budget appropriations.

The only Ministry – and I say that to the best of my knowledge – that will definitely not show an under-implementation of appropriations, in other words the only Ministry that makes full use of all funds made available by the Budget, is the Ministry of National Defence.

The Ministry of National Defence will “draw”, when necessary, from the Special Reserve, not only the amount of 48 million euro that currently seems to be missing by the operating budget, but even more if needed. Therefore, in essence, we are dealing with a budget that is increased with regard to the Defence expenditure, compared to the one of last year and more funds will be allocated for the upgrading of National Defence, by a decision of the Prime Minister, who identified the problems, the challenges – we helped him to do that – and within 2020, additional funds required will be allocated.

I must remind you that the recruitment of approximately 1.200 to 2.000 Short-term Re-enlisting Privates and Professional Conscripts has already been announced, for the purpose of staffing all three Branches of the Armed Forces and reducing the average age of professional members of the Armed Forces. It is preferred over increasing the period of service; in other words, that conscripts are given the opportunity to serve for another two months. We prefer Professional Conscripts; Conscripts selected according to criteria determined in the short term in the notice of vacancy that will take place, so that there would be added value and an upgrade in terms of quality also of the Armed Forces’ human resources during the coming year”.