The Minister of National Defense Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos attended today, Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at the celebration of the Patron Saint of the Navy, Agios Nikolaos, held at the School of Naval Cadets in Piraeus.

The Government and the Prime Minister were represented by the Vice President Mr. Panagiotis Pikrammenos, the Parliament of the Greeks was represented by the President of the House Mr. Konstantinos Tasoulas and also attended by the Minister of Immigration and Asylum Mr. Notis Mitarakis, the Deputy Minister of National Defense Mr. Nikos Hardalias, the Deputy Minister of Shipping & Insular Policy, responsible for ship matters K. Konstantinos Katsafados, the Member of Parliament for Piraeus SYRIZA-PS Mr. Thodoris Dritsas and party representatives.

Also present was the Chief GEETHA General Konstantinos Floros, the Chief GES Lieutenant General Charalambos Lalousis, the Chief General Vice-Admiral Stylianos Petrakis PN, the Chief of General Staff (I) Themistocles Bourolias, the mayor of Piraeus Mr. Yannis Moralisrepresentatives of agencies and the Local Government.

After the celebration, the Minister of National Defense donated to the Naval Cadet School a piece of the first metal that had been cut in its shipyards “Naval Group” in Lorient, France for the type frigates under construction FDI last January and bears the signature of the Minister and the then Minister of Defense of France, Mrs. Florence Parly.

In his brief statement, Mr. Panagiotopoulos pointed out:

“This gift will remind and inspire the students of the Naval Cadet School of what is to come, the new perspective of the Navy. They will be lucky to graduate from the SND and will likely be called upon to staff these new assets that the Navy needs and to which more are expected to be added when the new decisions on the corvette program and beyond are made soon.

Happy Birthday and may Saint Nicholas, your Patron Saint, always be on your bow.”