The readiness of the state apparatus to deal with the risk and consequences of the fires, as well as what has been done so far in this direction and for the coordination of all services, was the subject of the broad government meeting held today at the Ministry of Climate Crisis and of Civil Protection, under the minister Vassilis Kikilia.

The aim of the meeting was to inform the new officials of the government, while the topics discussed were, among other things, the available ground-air forces of all relevant agencies, the development of forces and the actions that have been taken since the start of the fire fighting season and the reinforcement of the mechanism through the Prepositioning Program (subscription of foreign missions).

There was also an update on the development of the Antinero program, the cooperation with the local authorities, on the cleaning and protection of the archaeological sites, the planning of the organized preventive evacuation of citizens as well as on the public information campaign with communication campaigns.

Mr. Kikilias, among others, appealed to citizens to contribute to the common struggle for the protection of human lives, forests and property and to help the national effort with a team spirit.

The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Citizen Protection Notis Mitarakis, Environment and Energy Theodoros Skylakakis and Culture Lina Mendoni, the Deputy Minister of the Interior Theodoros Livanios, the Minister of State Akis Skertsos, the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Thanasis Kontogeorgis, the Deputy Ministers of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas and Christos Triantopoulos and the general secretary of Civil Protection Vassilis Papageorgiou.

In addition, the head of GEETHA, general Konstantinos Floros, the head of the Hellenic Police Lt. Gen. Lazaros Mavropoulos, the head of the Fire Brigade, Lt. Gen. Georgios Pournaras, the Deputy Chief of the Police, Lieutenant General Marios Apostolidis, the Chief of Staff of the Police, Lieutenant General Christos Lambris, took part. commander of ESKEDIK, lieutenant general Theodoros Vagias, the head of the Fire Operations Branch, lieutenant general Athanasios Balafas, the director of Emergency Response Planning of the Greek Ministry of Defense Dimitris Alexandris and the general director of Forestry Vangelis Goudoufas.

Vassilis Kikilia’s entire statement reads:

“Today is the first meeting on fire protection under the new government. It concerns, as you know, all the co-competent ministries, the Security Forces, the agencies and of course the Municipalities and Regions.

I would like to address our fellow citizens, asking in another period of objective difficulties based on climate change – rather better the climate crisis – that everyone help, that everyone contribute with a team spirit in a national effort to protect human lives, our forests of course but also people’s properties. Thank you very much”.