The official visit of the Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos to Lemnos and Aghios Efstratios Islands was completed. Mr. Avramopoulos visited the 290th Mechanised Infantry Battalion and the 130th Air Force Combat Group on Lemnos Island, he was briefed on their work and mission and he addressed a statement to their personnel, in which among other he stressed:
«What the Greek people should know is that the endurance, the strength, the stamina of the Greek people is here, in the Aegean. Here are deployed our most significant forces and all the three Branches really created an umbrella that protects, defends the independence and integrity of all of us.
I am very satisfied to ascertain that the Hellenic Armed Forces have great courage, battle worthiness and readiness and this is the message I will convey to Athens.
The sacrifices the Greek people made for several decades to ensure these infrastructures for the Hellenic Armed Forces to serve their sacred mission of defending the integrity of the country are bearing fruits and they are in good hands.
Greece at this time and despite what history reserved for it, keeps its high pride and prestige and within this general uncertainty and instability that develops around us, we are an oasis for security and stability.
So, today I would like to express you briefly the acknowledgement, the respect and the gratefulness of the Greek state, of our Homeland and our people; to encourage you to continue executing your mission in the same spirit and to be aware that all us who bear the responsibility of managing this great issue which is called Greece’s National Defence, we are fully aware of both the problems and the conditions, as well as of the capabilities of our national defence system and mostly of its personnel.
Today, I am present here, on Lemnos and soon I will be on Aghios Efstratios, to send also a more general message beyond the frontiers of this country.
A message of Greece’s certainty, self-confidence and pride and yet a message for peace and good neighbouring relations for our wider region.
Greece has adopted a peaceful policy. And this is the message it sends to its entire neighbourhood at every chance, and ever farther wherever the duty calls it, through its conventional obligations, to the international organizations to serve the international law. And this is what Greece asks everybody to do.
I am afraid, however, that the Aegean is not calm yet. This still needs a lot of work, this needs prudent minds. It requires us all to realize that we crossed the door to a new era. And what are now needed for the peoples in this region are peaceful coexistence, progress and prosperity. And people have realized that. I wish their leaders realize it too, because they bear great responsibility towards their peoples.
Therefore, we send a message of certainty, self-confidence, security, peace, but also of responsibility and readiness. And it is you who are on the front of what I described. Greece must acknowledge it and honour you for that.”
Afterwards, the Minister of National Defence travelled to Aghios Efstratios where he attended a memorial service held at the Monument of the Fallen and he threw a wreath from a helicopter to the sea of Aghios Efstratios to the memory of Lieutenant (P) Nikolaos Sialmas. Mr. Avramopoulos visited also the Aghios Efstratios outpost and the Museum of Democracy.
On Aghios Efstratios, the Minister of National Defence made the following statement:
«Today, the political and military leadership of the Ministry of National Defence, we are here rather to pay tribute than to visit the place; to pay tribute to an island of martyrdom that became the symbol of Democracy in our country and also to pay tribute to the sacrifice of a young man, a pilot who gave his life about 22 years ago to defend our national rights.
This place sends also a message of national unity and unanimity and reminds us the obligation to keep the ties of solidarity strong and not let ourselves be drifted by petty and unimportant things that always may come up during our lives. A message of unity for the hard moments our country faces today.
Symbolic acts and sacrifices remind us of our own duty to remain loyal and consistent to our commitment and our oath to defend this place, the conquests of our people, Democracy and, of course, our national independence and integrity.
I want to believe that this visit too will help us realize our commitments towards frontier areas of Greece.
I would like to make a reference of honour to the residents of this island. Although they could have left the island too to move into big cities or elsewhere, they preferred to stay here and keep this place alive and, above all, Greek.
On behalf of the Greek state I would like, Mayor, to ask you to convey to your citizens out gratefulness and our reassurance that no matter where we are, we are obliged to help to reanimate this island even more. Because the island’s animation will also animate the memories and symbols which developed here; the Democracy and its martyrs and the sacrifice of officers, like Nikos Sialmas, which now require for our generations too to take their responsibilities.”