Dendias: Strong and modern armed forces ‘absolutely essential’ for Greece

Athens, Greece.- Greece must have strong and modern armed forces to defend its national interests and critical infrastructure, National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias stressed on Wednesday, in his address to the East Macedonian & Thrace Forum II in Alexandroupolis.
Talking about Thrace, he said it was a “shining example of the coexistence of Greek citizens of different faiths”, while highlighting the region’s geopolitical importance for Greece’s interests in the Black Sea, the Balkans and the Mediterranean. He also referred to the crucial role of Alexandroupolis as an important commercial, economic, energy and defence hub, while stressing the need for connectivity for economic growth.
“There cannot be synergies without it,” Dendias commented, welcoming an EU initiative for a map charting the rail freight corridor from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea.
He also highlighted Thrace’s importance as an energy hub, saying it was essential for Greece to be able to protect and defend this infrastructure by having a powerful and modern military. Talking about the “Agenda 2030” for the armed forces, he explained that this will respond to existing challenges but also to challenges now “beyond the horizon” with a different structure and a different outlook, a modern national service and reservist model and the development of the domestic arms industry.
“We must create a defence ecosystem which our human capital is eminently capable of serving,” he added.
The East Macedonia & Thrace Forum was organised for the second consecutive year by City Hub Events of the Alter Ego group, in collaboration with Tsomokos Communications.

Dendias: Proud of our country’s operations to protect our national interests

Dendias later referred to the first engagement of the Hellenic Navy frigate “Hydra” during an operation in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, as part of its participation in EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, in his speech during a visit to the 12th Motorised Infantry Division in Alexandroupolis.
“A few days ago, two days ago to be precise, together with the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff and the Chief of the Navy, we were in the Gulf of Aden with our frigate ‘Hydra’. We were proud to see our country’s flag flying on the mast of the ‘Hydra’ and, as you know, this morning, as part of its mission, the ‘Hydra’ was involved in preventing a drone attack on a merchant ship. We are proud of the operations of our homeland, which are carried out to protect our national interests, the role of our country, but also the interests of every Greek man and woman and of Greek society,” he said.