The grand military parade on Megalou Alexandrou Avenue in Thessaloniki, marking the national anniversary of October 28, 1940, has concluded, in the presence of President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The government was represented by Minister of National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos.
The parade began with the Thessaloniki Municipal Philharmonic, followed by the commander-in-chief of the political divisions.
New systems took part in the parade, such as the Marder 1A3 Armored Fighting Vehicles (APCs) Marder 1A3—the first in the series that Greece is currently taking delivery of—as well as the newly delivered French 4++-generation Rafale EG and Rafale DG fighter jets. F-16s, Mirage 2000-5s, and F-4E Phantoms flew over the parade grounds, along with helicopters in formation and the historic Spitfire MJ 755 fighter. The parade included motorized units equipped with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment, as well as infantry units from the Armed Forces and Security Forces. They were preceded by civilian contingents, including students, associations, volunteer groups, and other organizations.
The parade was attended by Cyprus’s Minister of Defense, Charalambos Petridis, Member of Parliament Kostas Gioulekas, representing the Speaker of the House; the Deputy Minister for Macedonia and Thrace, Stavros Kalafatis; the Vice President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, the leadership of the Armed Forces and Security Forces, MP Dora Avgeri on behalf of SYRIZA-PS, and MP Haris Kastanidis on behalf of PASOK-KINAL, MP Haris Kastanidis, a representative of the president of Greek Solution, Kyriakos Velopoulos; the regional governor of Central Macedonia, Apostolos Tzitzikostas; U.S. Ambassador George Tsounis, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Konstantinos Zervas, Metropolitan Anthimos, members of the Hellenic Parliament, members of the European Parliament, and local government officials.
The motorcade carrying the President of the Republic stopped a short distance from the VIP stand, and Ms. Sakellaropoulou walked the rest of the way, waving from a distance to the citizens lining Alexander the Great Avenue. In front of the podium, she was greeted by the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros.
The weather was good, and many residents of Thessaloniki watched the parade from both sides of Megalou Alexandrou Avenue, while many went to the new beach to watch the F-16 demonstration by the «ZEUS» team.
Earlier, the President of the Republic laid a wreath at the Memorial to the Third Army Corps.
Ms. Sakellaropoulou: «The spirit of national unity forged in the Albanian epic is a precious legacy for all of us.»
«The spirit of national unity forged in the Albanian epic is a precious legacy for all of us,» said the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, after the conclusion of the military parade in Thessaloniki, and expressed her pride in the Armed Forces, which, as she said, «with a strong sense of responsibility, defend the security and territorial integrity of our homeland.».
«The “NO” on October 28, 1940, to the fascist invasion and the heroic resistance of our people constitute one of the most glorious chapters in our modern history, which we respectfully honored in today’s parade. The spirit of national unity forged during the Albanian epic is a precious legacy for all of us. »We are proud of our country’s Armed Forces, which, with a strong sense of responsibility, defend the security and territorial integrity of our homeland,” noted the President of the Republic.
Ms. Sakellaropoulou spoke with the pilot of the F-16 fighter jet from the «ZEUS» air demonstration team, Flight Lieutenant Christodoulos Giakoumis, who has over 1,600 flight hours, as he performed spectacular flybys and daring maneuvers over the parade grounds, on Megalou Alexandrou Avenue, leaving the spectators breathless, and their conversation could be heard over the loudspeakers.
«Greek women and men, we look with pride upon the achievements of the Generation of ’40 in defending our homeland. We are and will remain ready to do the same. Honor to those who dedicated their lives to defending Thermopylae! ’Happy Birthday to our Greece and to Hellenism throughout the world,» emphasized the major, and the President of the Republic replied:
«Major, we honor the heroes who fought and gave their lives in the epic struggle of 1940 for our freedom. And all of you in the Armed Forces, the vigilant guardians who ensure our national independence and sovereignty. Our country is grateful to you. Happy anniversary and safe landings.’.
N. Panagiotopoulos: «Greece will face and overcome the complex challenges of our time, drawing inspiration from the Epic of ’40.»
The message that Greece will face and overcome the complex challenges of our time, drawing inspiration from the Epic of 1940, was conveyed from Thessaloniki by Minister of National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos, who attended the grand military parade.Specifically, Mr. Panagiotopoulos made the following statement after the parade concluded:
«Today, here in Thessaloniki, we are celebrating with great pomp the anniversary of October 28, 1940—the Epic of ‘40. We took pride in the civilian contingents, as well as, of course, the military parade. We felt the morale and spirit; we saw the poise of those who participated; we felt proud alongside them.».
«We are reminded of that epic struggle of 1940, when Greece defeated a theoretically superior enemy—an arrogant and totalitarian regime—which, however, failed to take into account —and for this reason was crushed in the Pindus Mountains—that the country possessed a high national spirit that ran from one end of the country to the other, throughout the entire population, had strong leadership, and possessed powerful Armed Forces that were well-prepared and ready to fight and win.‘.
«In today’s world, the challenges we face are complex, multifaceted, and perhaps different from anything we have faced in the past—a succession of crises occurring simultaneously. But we will face them and overcome them, inspired by the example of the Heroes of 1940, their sacrifice, and their sense of duty to defend our national sovereignty and our homeland.’.
«And today we will continue to fight for a stronger Greece, for a Greece that stands tall, for a Greece that respects others but also demands their respect, for a Greece that feels confident and secure, despite the problems and challenges, because it possesses, among other things, strong and deterrent Armed Forces. Happy Birthday, Greece! Long live the Epic of ‘40! Long live the Nation!».
Char. Petridis: «Greece promotes stability and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean»
Greece promotes stability and peace in the broader Eastern Mediterranean region, said the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Cyprus, Charalambos Petridis, following the military parade.
Reaffirming Greece’s «deterrent power» and «strong role» in the region, Mr. Petridis referred to the message of October 28, noting that this day serves as a reminder to the Greek people and to the entire world that «no struggle to defend freedom is in vain.».
He also thanked the Hellenic Republic for its unwavering support of the Cypriot people over the years.
Congratulations from the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff on the events commemorating the anniversary of October 28
The Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros.
In a statement, the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff expressed «his warm congratulations to all military personnel who, in any way, took part in the splendid events commemorating the anniversary of October 28, throughout the entire country.’.
Mr. Floros offered special congratulations to the parade and honor guard units, «whose bearing, synchronization, and overall impeccable and imposing appearance highlighted the fighting spirit, high morale, steel-like fortitude, and granite-like determination of the men and women of the Armed Forces to defend the integrity, independence, and freedom of the homeland.».
He described today’s parade as «magnificent» and added: «It sends a resounding message of national strength, deterrence, and resolve in every direction from all of you, the worthy descendants and torchbearers of the noble warriors and heroes of Greece’s historic, timeless golden past, upon whom the solid, steel-like structure of the Greek Armed Forces today is entirely founded. You are the guarantors and continuers of all this.».
«The burden of upholding our country’s dignity has always been a heavy one. The same is true now that the baton is in your hands. I have absolute confidence in you and boundless respect,» concluded the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff.
