The President of the Republic sent a message of deterrence from Alexandroupolis, stressing the readiness of the Armed Forces and the protection of the border.

With references to “challenges on the ground” and a clear message of national preparedness, the President of the Republic Constantine Tasoulas chose Evros and Alexandroupolis to highlight the critical role of the Armed Forces in the security and stability of the country. During his presence at the headquarters of the XII Mechanized Infantry Division “Evros”, Tasoulas praised the professionalism, operational readiness and high spirit of the Greek Army, noting that Greece remains committed to defending its borders against any form of threat. At the same time, he referred to the geopolitical importance of Thrace, the developments surrounding the region’s energy role and the message of power sent by the presence of Greek forces in the bordering Evros.

“The challenges on the ground are much more important and we have proven that the Greek Army has the deterrent power to avert them,” said President of the Republic, Constantine Tasoulas, during his address at the dinner hosted in his honour by the Commander of the XII Mechanized Infantry Division “EVROS”, Major General Pavlos Andrikopulos, at the Alexandroupolis Officers’ Club.

We will protect our borders

“Today Greece meets its historical obligations, honors those who created today’s Greece in a military and diplomatic way and protects the borders that were conquered by those who came before,” he said, adding:

“It is a big deal that in Thrace there is a spirit of equality and equality for all citizens regardless of religion. It is very important that there are projects that are being developed here in the region, especially the transformation of Thrace and Alexandroupolis into a major energy hub.

All this is auspicious under the unavoidable condition that we do our job. We will protect our borders in an unrelenting, determined manner, as we defended them with the Army and the Police in 2020 and as we will defend them whenever necessary.”

About Greek-Turkish relations

Referring to the provocations against Greece, he observed: “The important provocations are those on the ground. There are also challenges which are made verbally, which are made possibly legislatively, which are made at the level of psychological impact. These are other kinds of challenges that are often done for internal reasons and are responded to politically or diplomatically.

But on the ground, the challenges are much more important and we have proven that the Greek Army has the deterrent power to avert them. Not only to deal with them when they happen, like in 2020, in this hybrid form that they were deployed, but also to deter them, to prevent them. The professionalism, the operational readiness, the discipline of the XII Mechanized Infantry Division echo and reflect the professionalism, the operational readiness and discipline and the high spirit of our Armed Forces as a whole.”

Addressing the commander of the XII Mechanized Infantry Division, Major General Pavlos Andrikopulos, who addressed him, the President said: “Thank you for your words and especially for your actions, defending here in the vanguard of Greece, here where Greece does not end but where Greece begins. Your region here is proof of how important it is in critical historical or war situations to side with what we call today the right side of history.”

The dinner was attended by the Chief of the General Staff, General Dimitrios Houpis, the Commander of the Supreme Military Command of Thrace, Lieutenant General Panagiotis Kavidopoulos, the Metropolitan of Alexandroupolis Anthimos and representatives of local authorities and institutions.