Under the presidency of His Grace Bishop Niphon of Achelous and in the presence of the Secretary General for Shipping and Ports, Evangelos Kyriazopoulos, the First Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Christos Kontorouchas, and the Second Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Fotios Kiamos, a ceremony was held today at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy building to commemorate the National Anniversary of October 28, 1940.
The Secretary General for Shipping and Ports, in his address, emphasized that by celebrating the anniversary of October 28, we pay tribute to our ancestors who served then, to those who serve in the present, as well as to the Coast Guard personnel for their work and continuous efforts, who daily serve the homeland with dedication and professionalism. “The Anniversary is not just a ceremony. It is a reminder of duty. The ‘NO’ becomes a daily ‘YES’ to work, to discipline, to professionalism. It becomes a ‘YES’ to cooperation, to respect for the law, to protecting human life and the marine environment. The Coast Guard fights daily,” Mr. Kyriazopoulos noted.
He added: “Every link in the chain counts. We don’t embellish, but the challenges are real: migration flows, hybrid threats, extreme phenomena, unprecedented environmental incidents, resource pressure. The answer is sobriety, planning, persistence. Memory and continuity. Exactly what October 28 teaches us. The sea is not given freely. It is won with knowledge, with organization, with cooperation. The ‘NO’ of 1940 shows us the way. To know what we defend. To be ready when needed and to stand united.”
The ceremony was also attended by the Deputy Regional Governor of Piraeus and President of the Union of Retired Coast Guard Officers, Stavros Voidonikolakas, honorary Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs of the Coast Guard, a representative of the Union of Retired Naval Officers, the President of the Coast Guard Officers Club, senior and high-ranking officers of the Hellenic Coast Guard, as well as civil servants of the Ministry.
The commemorative speech of the day was delivered by Coast Guard Captain Dimitrios Stratis.
