Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos climbed upon a tank at the town of Ioannina on Wednesday in a symbolic gesture of confidence to the Greek armed forces.
“Greece is a nation of peace and democracy, but it knows how to defend its territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” he said during a ceremony to mark the 105th anniversary since the city’s liberation from Ottoman rule.
“We Greeks, a people and nation of peace and democracy, know how to defend when needed and against everyone, our borders, our territorial integrity and our national sovereignty that now comprise the frontier, territory and sovereignty of the European Union,” Pavlopoulos stated.
“Greece is a quiet force that respects its friends but was never afraid of its enemies, and its armed forces are in position to prove it at any time”, Pavlopoulos added.