New Democracy leader, Antonis Samaras, was briefed on Monday on Greece’s defense policy and the state of the Greek Armed Forces by defense minister Evangelos Venizelos and the military leadership.
After two-and-a-half-hour’s, Mr. Samaras and Mr. Venizelos stated that the country’s financial difficulties do and should not impact Greece’s defense and foreign policy, stressing that the greatest possible national consensus is required.
Mr. Venizelos, said that it is his institutional obligation to brief the main opposition leader, without any confidentiality obstacles, on defense policy issues.
He also stressed the need for national unity and the largest possible harmony so as to preserve the battle value of the Hellenic Armed Forces and its morale, and to boost the country’s diplomatic clout.
Mr. Venizelos, assured that the country’s foreign and defense policy will not suffer for economic and fiscal reasons.
Mr. Samaras, said that they discussed the critical matters concerning the Armed Forces “in these critical hours”, adding that he briefed the national defense ministry leadership on ND’s solid view that the economic difficulties must, at all sacrifice, not impact the precious battle worthiness of the Armed Forces and its morale, “which requires consensus, attention and meritocracy”.
“I believe that, in these difficult hours, on such matters we, together, can monitor the developments and co-formulate views,” Samaras said, adding that such serious matters should not become the object of the inter-party differences.
Asked to comment on a pre-dawn attack by Israeli defense forces on a humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza, Samaras expressed strong concern over the grievous incident.
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