It is with great pleasure that I attend today's inauguration of the new restaurants and the entertainment hall of the Permanent NCO School, a project that is an offer of the Republic of Cyprus to Greece, an act with special symbolism.
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, their permanent and selfless supporter in our every struggle.
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.
Students,
The Permanent NCO School has been over time, a breeding ground for the formation of excellent fighters forged in the ideals of Hellenism, loyal to duty with excessive dignity and honor. At the same time, at your school you acquire the necessary academic and military education to respond in the best possible way to the modern operational environment.
It is an undeniable fact that it arms you with courage, it strengthens your faith and makes you capable fighters to defend the freedom and democracy of your homeland as your predecessors did, putting into practice Plato's motto, which adorns the School's emblem, that 'mother and father and all other ancestors are more honourable than father and more modest and holier than all other ancestors'.
As graduating non-commissioned officers you will be the little leaders who will be on the front line, staffing the expeditionary units and outposts of the advance line, being the people who under your direct supervision will translate orders into action.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In today's extremely difficult global situation with the war in Ukraine, Turkey is trying to present itself as a peacemaker and mediator for a solution. With its pretentious neutrality and its attitude to Finland's and Sweden's applications for NATO membership, it has shown that its ultimate aim is to serve its revisionist ambitions, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, in its usual blackmailing manner.
No one can question its provocative behaviour and unilateral actions in the maritime zones of Greece and Cyprus, its continuous violation of Greece's national airspace, its instrumentalisation of human suffering by channelling large numbers of migrants and its illegal actions in the enclosed city of Famagusta in violation of every concept of international law.
As Greeks, we have no choice but to be constantly vigilant, to reinforce 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, 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 good will to resume dialogue and the package of confidence-building measures we are proposing is intended to assist this effort.
I would like once again to convey the heartfelt thanks of the Cypriot state to the Greek government and the Greek people for their brotherly support and continued support to the Republic of Cyprus.
(IK)
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