The proceedings of the 6th Pre-Conference of the New Democracy in Thessaloniki began with the address of the President of the Organizing Committee of the Party’s Conference, Thodoros Roussopoulos.
Mr. Roussopoulos referred to the unstable international environment and the ongoing military conflicts, noting that during the seven years of Kyriakos Mitsotakis government, the country has strengthened its defence, upgraded its international alliances and invested in its deterrent power.
Greetings were also given by the regional governor of Central Macedonia Athina Aedona, the chairman of the NW Thessaloniki Steering Committee Zisis Ioakimovich, the general director of the party Giannis Smyrlis and the president of the UNNED, Orfeas Georgiou.
The latter appeared confident about the outcome of the student elections, stressing that the DAP-NDFK will remain the leading force in universities.
The focus of the event was a speech by National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, who referred to the major changes he said were already underway in the Armed Forces. “We know what it is and we know roughly what it contains, we have nothing to envy, we are creating the capabilities so that our country can produce and equip the Navy with the most sophisticated drones and anti-drone systems that exist right now.”
He revealed that he was recently in Portugal, where the most sophisticated European centre for maritime drones is operating.
“I was in Portugal which has the most sophisticated centre for maritime drones in the EU, so that everything that is state-of-the-art we have,” he said.
Mr. Dendias stressed that conditions are changing rapidly and that Greece must adapt to the new circumstances.
“Everything is changing and we must change everything except the principles and values of Hellenism and the Armed Forces,” he said from the podium of the pre-synod.
He also made a special reference to the Agenda 2030, noting that Greece had moved in time in planning its defence policy.
“Even before Europe came to the same conclusion, we formulated the 2030 Agenda, which has a solid plan of the most powerful EDD in the history of Hellenism. The Prime Minister has called it the most powerful reform in the Armed Forces,” he noted.
At the end of his speech, the Defence Minister also turned to political messages in view of the next elections.
“We should prepare a good threshold,” he said, and then questioned: “Which political force, which cadres, which prime minister have the potential to deliver a strong Greece in the next elections?”
He concluded by giving his answer from the podium of the pre-synod: “The party is called New Democracy, the government of New Democracy, the political staff of New Democracy and the prime minister is in front of you and his name is Kyriakos Mitsotakis.”
