(Saturday, 9 April 2022, 20.30 am, Ktima Kousoumi Estate, Nicosia)
It is with great pleasure that I am here with you today, at the traditional ball of the Pancyprian Artillery Reserve Association. This gives me the opportunity to see you in person and to highlight the remarkable work you are doing as an association.
But first of all, I would like to express my sincere condolences to his relatives and to the great family of the Artillery for the untimely loss of the worthy member of the National Guard, Frixos Smyrnios.
The established annual ball and other events that take place highlight the relationship of solidarity and the unbreakable bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the reserve gunners of the National Guard. To this end, I would like to heartily congratulate my friend President George Georgiadis and the members of the association, underlining and acknowledging your multi-dimensional action and contribution to the National Guard and our society at large.
At the same time and beyond the valuable assistance in fulfilling the operational mission of the National Guard, the initiatives you undertake have a positive impact on the uniformed personnel as an example of selfless service, being the link between the civil society and the military.
I want to assure you that as the Ministry of Defence we do everything possible according to the financial possibilities of the state. Given that the Cyprus problem remains unresolved, the occupation and the presence of Turkish troops continues, it becomes imperative that our defence exists, is strengthened and upgraded. I would like to inform you that in 2021, spending on defence armour was the highest in the last 18 years and we aspire to continue this year.
Friends,
I invite you to turn our thoughts for a moment to the heroic gunners who wrote pages of glory on the battlefields in 1974, fighting against the Turkish invader by giving their lives on the altar of duty.
Expressing our eternal gratitude, let us assure them that their sacrifice is not forgotten, but is a debt unpaid for all of us, and we will continue our efforts to live up to the expectations of our people and our history. We promise them that we will devote all our efforts to the vindication of their struggles.
A vindication that can only come through a viable solution to the Cyprus problem, which will end the occupation, while paving the way for the reunification of our homeland in conditions of freedom, security and stability, based on the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the principles and values of the European Union.
In this struggle to restore historical reality, we must all join forces. Your consistent and enthusiastic participation in the ranks of the armed reserve will boost the morale of society and strengthen the Government's efforts to solve the problem that has plagued our country for so many years.
I congratulate you again for the excellent organization of tonight's event, but also for the excellent cooperation that has developed over the years between the Pancyprian Artillery Reserve Association and the Ministry of Defense.
I wish you all good fun and may the Resurrection of the Lord that we will celebrate in a few days to bring the much needed resurrection to our country!
Thank you.
(IK)
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