“The value of the national holidays lies in the fact that they revive messages from throughout history. Today, here, in Thessaloniki, we lived beautiful moments. We shared supreme and noble emotions with thousands of citizens of Thessaloniki who attended this impressive parade with us. We felt our people’s morale was strengthened and we all took strength against the difficult circumstances that have arisen. Today’s event sends an important message to the entire Greek people: unity, togetherness and solidarity.
Greece has experienced much harder difficulties in the past and has succeeded. And now it will come out of this difficulty as a winner. The country’s Armed Forces are the guarantee for independence and integrity of Greece. They are the defenders of the very democracy and of our people’s conquests.
Today, here, in Thessaloniki, people and army united backed our common decision to claim a better future. The government is fighting a big and hard battle. Everybody is called to stand at its side. We must leave aside the petty and unimportant things and not be induced to lessen great things and magnify little things. Today, we sent a message to our wider neighborhood which goes through an unprecedented period of instability, volatility and uncertainty: Greece is strong. It is a strong stabilizing factor, always at the service of the international law.
We send a message to our neighbours. We send a message to all our friends all over our larger country, Europe, reminding them that this country has a great history, a quite important contribution to the conquest of freedom and Democracy within the free world. And we will go on like this. The Cypriot Minister of Defence was with us. He shared with us the supreme and noble meanings of this holiday. I am sure that he will convey a message of solidarity from our people to the Greeks of Cyprus.
Today our people’s morale was strengthened and enhanced. We paid tribute to our young conscripts and to the Hellenic Armed Forces.
And one important thing that is worth noticing: People of Thessaloniki, by largely attending this parade, came to send their own message on behalf of the Greek people who expect us, all, our country’s entire political class, to reinforce the relations of solidarity among us, to deepen our unity and form a common front against the challenges of our times.
And we will succeed. Greece will come out of this crisis victorious. Our people will regain their perspective, their hope and soon will come the day when a better future will emerge for our people and, mostly, for our young generations.
Finally, a message of respect and acknowledgement, on the occasion of this holiday, to all those who built the Greece of pride, honour and worthiness before us: We will follow their path and this is why this holiday, exactly because it revives these supreme noble meanings, has a great value for us and the next generations.”