Greek Deputy Minister of National Defence Thanasis Davakis has visited the eastern Aegean, holding meetings with military units and residents on the frontline islands of Kos and Pserimos.
Davakis visited the headquarters of the 80th Higher National Guard Battalions Command on Kos and the Pserimos Surveillance Outpost. The visits were intended to confirm the state's ongoing care for its border islands.
Kos and Pserimos are part of the Dodecanese island chain in the eastern Aegean Sea, located near the coast of Turkey. Greece maintains a significant military presence on its eastern islands to defend its national sovereignty and borders.
Upon arriving in Kos, Davakis was welcomed by local authorities and military leaders. Those present included Kalymnos Mayor Ioannis Mastrokoukos, the Commander of the Supreme Military Command of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, Lieutenant General Dimitrios Vakentis, the Commander of the 80th Higher National Guard Battalions Command, Brigadier General Grigorios Garoufalias, and the Commander of the 282nd Mechanized National Guard Battalion, Infantry Lieutenant Colonel Avakoum Papadopoulos.
Island medical needs
After receiving briefings on Kos, the deputy minister traveled to Pserimos, a tiny island situated between Kos and Kalymnos with a very small permanent population.
On Pserimos, Davakis met with the officers and soldiers manning the local military outpost, and exchanged views and wishes with the permanent residents.
Speaking about his visit, Davakis said he had once again observed the high morale, thorough training, and operational readiness of the armed forces personnel who he said defend national sovereignty with self sacrifice.
He said he had also spoken with the residents of Pserimos about the problems they face, highlighting the need for a doctor at the island's regional clinic. He noted that the military continually tries to staff the clinic with a conscript doctor, and he expressed his thanks to the doctor currently serving there.
The deputy minister concluded that the armed forces provide an ongoing social contribution, particularly in eastern Aegean islands like Pserimos.
