The Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy organised an event today, Monday 24 October 2022, to honour the Kytherians and the local authorities, following the shipwreck in Diakofti, on 5 October, where 80 Afghan refugees were rescued.
The event was attended and honored by the Mayor of Kythera Efstratios Harhalakis, the Vice-Regional Governor of the Attica Islands Vasso Bogri, the representatives of the security forces, the representative of the Rescue Team Vrettos Slavos, the owner of the crane Michalis Protopsaltis with his nephews Panagiotis and Dimitris, the hospital administrator George Megalokonomos with a delegation of health workers, Spyros Kasimatis, George Kontoleon representative of the fishermen, the captain of the F/B Aqua Jewel.
The honorary event was held in the presence of the leadership of the Ministry of Shipping, Minister Yannis Plakiotakis and Deputy Minister Kostas Katsafadou. The event was attended by the Deputy Mayors of Kythera Charalambos Sougianis and Panagiotis Zantiotis representatives of Kythera Associations and several
WHO WAS AWARDED (in detail)
During the ceremony, the following were awarded for their contribution to the rescue of 80 people:
- The Vice-Regional Governor of the Islands, Vasiliki Theodorakopoulou-Bogri.
- The Mayor of Kythera, Efstratios Harhalakis.
- The Commander of the 2nd Port Department of Kythera, Lieutenant Niki Giannakopoulou of the Coast Guard, who also received the awards of the staff of the Port Authority of Kythera and the Coast Guard Constantine Campanopoulos who serves at the Port Authority of Kythera.
- The Chief of the Kythera Fire Brigade, Captain Spyridon Fountoulakis, who received the awards of the staff of the Kythera Fire Brigade and the Volunteer Firefighters.
- The Commander of the Kythera Police Department, Lieutenant A' Triantafyllos - Antonios Pilikos, who also received the award from the Deputy Commander of the Kythera Police Department, Lieutenant Koutsokostas Nikolaos.
- The Governor of the General Hospital of Kythera «Trifyleio», Georgios Megalokonomos.
- The doctor of the General Hospital of Kythera, Efstratios Athanasopoulos.
- The nurse of the General Hospital of Kythera, Maria Kontoleon-Kalligerou.
- Vrettos Slavos, representative of the Greek Rescue Team.
- Georgios Kontoleon, member of the Association of Professional Boat Fishermen.
- Michael Protopsaltis.
- Demetrios Protohpsaltis.
- Panagiotis Protopsaltis.
- Spyridon Kasimatis and
- Christos Tzouanis.
Plakiotakis: Greece acts in accordance with international law - Award for the rescue of 80 migrants in Kythera
A special example of solidarity and courage, humanity and strength of the human will, was mentioned today by the Minister of Shipping Yannis Plakiotakis, during an award ceremony for those who participated in the search and rescue operation of 80 migrants in Diakofti Kythera.
«Our country is doing the obvious. It protects the maritime border of. It shall act in accordance with international law, with respect for human rights, with respect for human life. As much as some people may not like it, this will continue,» Plakiotakis said.
He added that the Turkey has been systematically trying to reverse reality lately by violating not only the agreement with the European Union, but also by allowing the smuggling rings to operate undisturbed, resulting in increasing migratory flows, while at the same time distorting reality and blaming Greece.
For his part, the State Secretary for Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Costas Katsafados, in his address, stressed that it is a special honour for him to award people who continue to save lives while some people on the other side of the Aegean send them to their death.
«In your person we honour all these citizens and of course the members of the Coast Guard, ELAS and the Fire Brigade who deliver lessons of self-sacrifice and humanity. We will always stand as Greece against the unscrupulous circuits that traffic and instrumentalize people who are looking for a better tomorrow,» he stressed.
