“A new line of followers symbolizes, not only the continuity of foreign policy, it symbolizes primarily the patriotic feelings of young people“, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Gerapetritis, at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2nd Educational Series of Candidate Embassy Followers earlier today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He noted that these are young people, who come with dreams to serve the country, to make their life’s purpose the difficult task of being able to support the image and national rights around the world.

THE foreign minister expressed his gratitude to the parents, relatives, families of the new Followers, for “the sacrifice, not only for the new Followers to reach their current level, but especially the sacrifice that in the future they will be deprived of them for sufficient periods of time, when they themselves will be around the world to serve the country, under certain adverse conditions many times, as are today’s too”.

“It is important to have in the new generation of diplomats people who not only have the necessary knowledge, but also the necessary feeling to be able to serve the country”, he noted. “Because it will be the image of our country abroad, it will not only be the first image that everyone abroad will have of Greece, but it will be the expression, the word of Greece, the word of our homeland throughout the world».

As he underlined, in a period, “which is extremely difficult, in conditions, which we all know are not the best for the global security architecture, with two wars in our neighborhood, with enormous challenges, with great asymmetries, they will be asked to carry out an extremely difficult task».

“And in this they will have to use the entire arsenal, which they acquired during their tenure at the Diplomatic Academy, the performances they received. But mostly the feeling of the operation“, he added.

He noted that what the new followers “are called upon to perform from today is not only a right, which they acquire, a status, which is extremely high, that of a diplomat. It is mainly the debt, the obligation to the motherland to never be afraid to support our rights”.

In this, he emphasized, “they will have an arsenal, which is extremely important, they are all the tools that modern diplomacy has, the large Greek diaspora, which is everywhere and constitutes a great soft power of ours”.

And of course, he added, the country’s large international footprint, “which from January 1, 2025 becomes even more active with the participation of Greece in United Nations Security Councilas the co-producer of all international policies”.

In closing and addressing the new followers, he noted “I know that times will come that will be extremely difficult, when you will be isolated somewhere, under the Damocles sword of global challenges, wars, upheavals, civil wars».

“But I want you to remember only one thing – if you allow me to give a piece of advice – that you must never be timid and disappointed. There will be times of frustration and there will be times of futility. But you must always keep in mind that you are serving Greece and serving the Greek soul. And we will always be by your side“, he concluded.