The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias, accompanied by the Chief of HNDGS General Dimitrios Choupis and the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, visited today, Friday 26 December 2025, the premises of the 79 Higher National Guard Battalions Command “MYKALI”, as well as a Surveillance Outpost, on Samos.
The Minister of National Defence, on the premises of the 79 Higher National Guard Battalions Command, in the presence of the Commanding General of the Supreme Military Command of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Lieutenant General Dimitrios Vakentis and the Commanding General of the 79 Higher National Guard Battalions Command Brigadier General Stavros Michalis, exchanged wishes with the members and was briefed on the organisation, mission and current activities.
After the end of the briefing, Mr Dendias stated:
“We are on Samos, on these holy days of Christmas, to exchange wishes with the women and men of the Armed Forces, at the far reaches of our Homeland, at the Eastern Aegean. With these people who secure independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty, our Homeland’s sovereign rights.
Therefore, I came here, on the premises of the Brigade, to express the Greek society’s gratitude to these women and men, for their achievements.
I would like to make clear that our Homeland threatens no-one. Greece has not expressed any revisionist claims, it has not threatened any of our neighbours.
It has not recorded a single territorial or other claim against another country. Furthermore, it has never issued an ultimatum.
However, on the other hand, our country is resolutely determined to defend its sovereignty and sovereign rights. This is the constitutional obligation of the Armed Forces, this is the obligation of each Greek woman and man.
On these holy days, along with the wishes, we are also sending a message of national self-confidence based on our History, our traditions but also our obligation towards the next generations of Greeks”.
Afterwards, the Minister went to the “PSILI AMMOS” Surveillance Outpost, where he was briefed on its mission and exchanged wishes with the members and the conscripts for the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays.
Mr Dendias, during his visit, met also with the MP and Cardiology Professor at the Medical School of the Athens National and Kapodistrian University Cristodoulos Stefanadis, in Vathy. The Deputy Head of Samos Region Elisseos Mavratzotis, the Mayor of Eastern Samos Paraskevas Papageorgiou, the Deputy Mayor of Western Samos Artemis Panousos and the president of the Ydrousa-Samos Municipal Community Christodoulos Evgenikos attended the meeting.
