According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Petridis, in his address at the opening of the new restaurants and entertainment hall of the Permanent NCO School in Trikala said that "no one can question its provocative behavior and unilateral actions in the maritime zones of Greece and Cyprus, its continuous violation of Greece's national airspace, its instrumentalization of human suffering by channeling large numbers of migrants and its illegal actions in the enclosed city of Famagusta in violation of every concept of international law."
He added that "as Greeks we have no choice but to be constantly vigilant, to modernize and maintain at a high level the readiness of our armed forces to confront any hostile action and defend our territorial integrity, always acting as a factor of stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean".
At the same time, he said, "we are committed to continue the struggle for the reunification of our island on the basis of the UN Security Council resolutions and the principles and values of the EU. It is imperative to demonstrate goodwill for the resumption of dialogue and the package of confidence-building measures we are proposing is intended to assist this effort."
On the inauguration of the new premises, Mr. Petrides said that "as the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, we feel particularly happy to have contributed to the implementation of the project, wishing in this way to express the unreserved gratitude of the Hellenic Cypriots to Greece, the permanent and selfless supporter in our every struggle".
He noted that "despite the economic shortage we have been experiencing in the last decade with the successive crises, Greece continues to train a large number of Greek Cypriot students in all Military Schools, satisfying the service needs of the National Guard and for this we would like to express our sincere thanks to the Ministry of National Defence and the General Staff of National Defence".
Addressing the students, the Minister of Defence said that "the Permanent NCO School has over the years been a breeding ground for the formation of excellent fighters forged in the ideals of Hellenism, loyal to duty with excessive dignity and honour". At the same time, he said, at your school you acquire the necessary academic and military education to respond in the best possible way to the modern operational environment.
In conclusion, the Minister of Defence conveyed "the heartfelt thanks of the Cypriot state to the Greek government and the Greek people for their brotherly support and continuous support to the Republic of Cyprus".
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