N. Hardalias at RIK: We want friendly relations with everyone, but we will never be complacent

“We aim for stability, but not for stagnation. We want friendly relations with everyone, but we will never be complacent. We abide by the rules of law, but with all the power of our diplomatic capabilities we make it clear that we are not naive. “very much from any mood of submissiveness”, said the Deputy Minister of National Defense of Greece Nikos Hardalias.

In an interview given to RIK, on ​​the occasion of his presence in Cyprus, for the ceremony of transporting the bones of seven Greek Officers and Hoplites who fell fighting in July 1974, Mr. Hardalias noted that the moment was moving.

Allow me not to talk about repatriation, he pointed out to emphasize: The homeland is one, what we will do today is that after forty-seven years that the hospitable land of Cyprus embraced the remains of these heroes, together with their relatives will lead to their ancestral homes, so that these militants can be buried in their areas, close to their relatives. I think it is the minimum sample of respect and if you want in cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus a huge effort has been made and I feel the need to thank the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus, Commissioner Mr. Fotiou and the Minister of Defense Mr. Petridis, because in good cooperation, our teams worked so that these seven heroes, following the previous ones, could be led back to Greece. The emotion is special and believe me what comes out of this process is that we have to correct any mistakes that have been made and work so that the last ones who have not returned to their families, Greeks and Cypriots, are found and buried. with the respect he needs for our dead, he said to point out that each story has a uniqueness in relation to how each family experienced this sacrifice, and through it the need emerges and almost to the limits of the National purpose, I will let us return, he said, all the relics to their relatives. Every family and a story. Every story and a lesson. Every lesson and a sense of emotion and pride for all that they offered. They ignored death, they fell in battle, and it is very important that their brothers, their daughters, their grandchildren, because among those who will be today are grandchildren, I think they should feel very proud, as all Hellenism is proud , said characteristically Mr. Hardalias.

When asked by journalist Stavros Kyprianou what the relatives who had the opportunity to meet and talk to the minister conveyed to the minister, Mr. Hardalias did not hide that “apart from the emotion, there is also a little anger, because maybe we were late for What is certain is that we have to run now and it is very important that we cooperate extremely well with the Republic of Cyprus, its Services have done an excellent job and I think we have about eight hundred more missing people who have to return to their families, either in Greece or here in Cyprus, and the committee is working very hard, every day, facing a Turkish side that does not seem willing to cooperate. a process which forty-seven years later afflicts, tyrannically, the conscience, the soul of all of families “.

Six of our lads from ELDYK and one of our lads who came with Noratlas and fell with the others, added Mr. Hardalias, at the reading of the names of the heroically fallen: Colonel Nikolaos Giannakopoulos, Colonel Konstantik Pez Karagounis, Reserve Infantry Reservist Dimitrios Velonas, Reserve Infantry Reservist Thomas Koukoulis, Reserve Supply-Transport Supply Reservist Dimitrios Thanopoulos, Reserve Infantry Reservist Christodoulos Doitsidis.

The Deputy Minister of National Defense of Greece was also asked about the volatile situation, as it is developing in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as whether Greece, with its power, weapons systems, diplomacy, can manage to prevent or if you want, as the journalist mentioned, not to “help” Turkey to enter into this further pirate behavior.

“I think we all agree that we are in a period of particular interest. The Eastern Mediterranean remains a melting pot of cultures, a core let me say, of geopolitical and geostrategic interests, a point of interaction of global and regional actors. I think the close monitoring of the Turkish threats and challenges on the Greek continental shelf and in the Cypriot EEZ is a daily occurrence. protection of the environment, because the part of the climate crisis is also a part that will concern us, energy security, terrorism and the radicalization of Islam, the management of migration flows and the instrumentalization that the Turkish side is trying to do, the revision of Turkey, this hegemonic, nationalist, rhetoric about the blue homeland and the instrumentalization of migratory flows. I think it is clear that we have a very specific strategy, an aggressive, let me say, defense diplomacy, by expanding our cooperation with other countries such as Egypt, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan , Lebanon and I think the main goals and security of Greek policy in the field of security and defense in the Eastern Mediterranean, are clear. We fully understand the multifactorial and thus multidimensional fluid and uncertain security environment. I think it is our choice for Greece and Cyprus to play a leading role in the international environment. The goals remain the same, unchanged, peace, we work for peace, stability and general prosperity in the region but it must be clear that this concerns specific tools such as the law of the sea, international law, Council resolutions UN Security Council resolutions and, of course, to come to what you have asked me, it is clear that the Armed Forces must remain strong because it is the Armed Forces that produce security. Greece to clarify from here, from our discussion, is fully committed to defending sovereignty and sovereign rights, with all available means and this must be understood by all and under any circumstances. It is also ready and I want to make it clear, and willing to support its partners and allies whenever international obligations require it. To put it very differently, I said at the Economist conference a few days ago, here in Cyprus, we do not understand our role in the new security environment as a weak partner, which occasionally seeks help to compensate for any of its limited capabilities. but, we perceive our role as an independent and credible factor with significant influence that perceives alliances as a multiplier of defense power. And I think this is proven by the constant upgrade of our Armed Forces, it aims precisely at the possibility of projecting the maximum possible defense power in the Eastern Mediterranean if and when required. I think we have taken very important steps, the upgrade of, say, the F-16 aircraft in the Viper version, the expected delivery of the twenty-four state-of-the-art Rafale, six of which we will receive in the coming weeks, we will receive them, but I think the acquisition of the latest “Belrigra will increase our already high operational capabilities to intervene in the most advanced, if you will, areas of the sea, again under our jurisdiction, and the Eastern Mediterranean or anywhere else.”

To these data is added the defense agreement recently signed with France: Apparently, he replied to point out that:

“All of this is part of an overall strategy. I’m used to say it, it ‘s an aggressive defense diplomacy, but we do not claim or allow anyone to question our sovereign rights, and those are the main goals, and if you will, and The tools of our security and defense policy in the Eastern Mediterranean, and it is important as we analyze them to avoid the confusion that our neighbors are trying to create and misinterpretations. We want friendly relations with everyone but we will never be complacent. We abide by the rules of law but with all the power of our diplomatic capabilities we make it clear that we are not naive. So we obviously want multilateral cooperation, we do not renounce the main one “We work for peace, but in any case we are ready to defend our national sovereignty and the sovereign rights of all Hellenism.”

The question always arises, Mr. Minister, if and to what extent the upgrade of Greece’s defense power and all these actions taken by the Greek government over time, such as the defense agreement with France, also cover Cyprus, if it reaches that is, to the last tip of the eastern Mediterranean, was asked about it to emphasize:

“I made it clear that we are ready to stand by all our allies, how much more we are ready to defend all the sovereign rights of Hellenism, of Cypriot Hellenism. Everything that connects us, everything that accompanies us throughout this historical path. We remain committed to international law, the law of the sea, the United Nations resolutions, we want friendly peaceful relations, but the only way is to continue to shield our country, to shield our Armed Forces, because It will make us both a protagonist and a security factor throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, and for us, for the allies and for the countries with which, beyond Cyprus, we cooperate, we have allied, we proceed to joint trainings and synergies at every level.

Turkey shows an incredible irritation, which can be seen not only through the statements but also from its daily behavior both in the Aegean and here in the Cyprus EEZ. In any case, what is our answer beyond readiness, is that we must remain cool and sober. I think that the Turks are currently facing other problems, which concern its own citizens, who are becoming even poorer with the state of the Turkish economy. And they must understand that their path passes through peaceful relations in the wider region. They find it difficult to understand. In any case, we remain fully prepared, we follow the developments daily together with the Republic of Cyprus, but also our European partners and allies, and I think that the coming weeks will be of particular interest, but we do not expect anything more or anything. “less than the behavior that Turkey has shown so far.”

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ