Visit of the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias to the Reserve Officers Museum in Serres and Meeting with the Archbishop of Nea Ioustiniani and Cyprus Mr Georgios

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Visit of the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias to the Reserve Officers Museum in Serres and Meeting with the Archbishop of Nea Ioustiniani and Cyprus Mr Georgios

November 8, 2024

The Minister of National Defence Mr Nikos Dendiasvisited today, Friday 8 November 2024, Serres, where he attended a lunch in honour of the Archbishop of Nea Ioustiniani and All of Cyprus Mr Georgios,hosted by the Mayor of Serres Varvara Mitliaga.

Other attendants were the MP of the European Parliament Fredis Beleris, the Serres MPs Kostas Ach. Karamanlis, Anastasios Chatzivasiliou, Fotini Arabatziand Kostas Boubas, the Deputy Head of the Region of Serres Panagiotis Spyropoulos, as well as Their Eminences the Metropolitan Bishops of Serres and Nigrita Mr Theologos, of Kalavryta and Egialia Mr Ieronymos, of Syros Mr Dorotheos Β', of Thira, Amorgos and Islands Mr Amphilochiosand of Sidirokastro Mr Makarios.

In his address during the lunch, the Minister of National Defence stressed the following:

"I am very glad and greatly honoured to be here today. Furthermore, I am attending this lunch for two distinct but personally important reasons.

First of all, to honour the city on this day of its Patron Saints' celebration. But also, I came to pay my respects and express my love to His Beatitude the Archbishop of Cyprus, a Hierarch who, apart from his role as archbishop, plays a crucial role for Hellenism. My acquaintance with His Beatitude the Archbishop is not long, but in the time I had the pleasure of receiving his blessing and of talking with him, I was allowed to have a more certain and stable judgement about what his presence means for Hellenism.

Allow me to say Your Eminence and host that it is a major error to identify Hellenism with the geographical boundaries of the modern Greek state. We are larger than this.

Cyprus is part of Hellenism. The Archbishop feels this and expresses it and he also expresses the agony which rightly stems from this "corner" from which he observes Hellenism. From Nicosia. I should remind you, although you already know it, that Nicosia is the last divided capital on this planet. So, I would like to express my great joy for being here today. Moreover, I would like to say something that His Eminence does not state due to modesty.

We are making a huge effort to modernise the Hellenic Armed Forces, called "2030 Agenda". My dear colleagues are well aware of it because they support it in the Parliament and in the Media.

I will not expand on the numerous things that we are trying to achieve. However, a part of them is essential. I am talking about our Military Academies. The Hellenic Armed Forces will preserve and increase their might under one condition:

When they will keep having the best professionals in their force. The best that the Greek society can produce.

Nevertheless, in order to achieve that we have to face the crisis which our Military Academies are currently experiencing. Perhaps you noticed that the number of individuals selecting the Hellenic Army Academy (Evelpidon), the Hellenic Navy Academy and the Hellenic Air Force Academy for their higher education was much lower than what we wished. If that trend continues and is not reversed then Hellenism will have a problem.

Therefore, we drafted a management programme by improving the students' wages in the Military Academies, by also improving their career - we will make pertinent announcements in the future - but also by improving their facilities in all three Academies.

Therefore, I turned to the Archbishop of Cyprus for help, especially in the case of the Hellenic Navy Academy. The Archbishop, from the little the Church of Cyprus has, deposited over 1 million euros for the improvement of the structural facilities of the Hellenic Navy Academy of the Hellenic Republic.

So, when the first of the new Greek frigates, "Kimonas", anchors to Cyprus, to Mari probably, then I think that you will also feel proud of the Greek officers aboard that ship, for what the Church of Cyprus offered to the Hellenic Armed Forces. We should note that Kimonas has a reason to be here Your Beatitude, sailing the waters of Cyprus.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I express my gratitude but also the gratitude of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, of the Government and I believe of the whole Greek society, for your contribution and its pertinent symbolism.

Allow me Your Eminence and host to wish to everyone many happy returns".

Subsequently, Mr Dendias had a private meeting with His Beatitude.

The visit of the Minister of National Defence was completed with his presence at the Reserve Officers Museum of the Serres Reserve Officers Association, which was inaugurated on that day by His Beatitude the Archbishop of Nea Ioustiniani and All of Cyprus Mr Georgiosand His Eminence the Metropolitan Bishop of Serres and Nigrita Mr Theologos.

It is the only war museum in Greece which tries to promote the participation of Reserve Officers in the Nation's struggles. The exhibits pertain to the evolution of the institution through the ages, as well as to important aspects of the military History.

After the conclusion of the visit Mr Dendias stated:

"Today, here in Serres, I had the pleasure and honour of visiting the New Museum which is dedicated to the Reserve Officer.

An effort which took shape thanks to private donations, by the initiative of the Reserve Officers of the Serres Prefecture.

As I did yesterday in Litochoro, during the Reserves' exercise, likewise today I want to reinstate to the public discourse the significant role of the reserves. The significant role played by the Greek Reserve Officer through the centuries-old Greek history. First of all, the role becomes apparent from the hundreds of casualties from the Reserve Officers.

However, apart from the past, I would also like us to look to the future. I have explained that a country with our population composition, taking into consideration the probable threats, ten times more than our own population, cannot survive without utilising the institution of reserves.

What is going to happen in 2025, through the "2030 Agenda" and the cooperation of all the Reserve Officers Associations is to reform the reserves.

We will give an even more significant role to the Greek Reserve, to his retraining, to his capability of contribution to the Homeland.

I would like to congratulate the Serres Prefecture Reserve Officers Association and in general, the Pan-Hellenic Reserve Officers Association and the Boards of Executives of both Associations, because with their care, a hall for the promotion of a role model was created. The role model of the Reserve Officer which constitutes the contribution to the Hellenic Armed Forces, the Greek society and finally our Homeland.

Thank you very much".