The importance of the “1864” Unit, which together with the newly established Electronic Information Units (“Unit 1821”) and Space Applications (“Unit 1912”), “aspires to bring our country into a new era” was underlined by the Minister of National Affairs. Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, who attended today, Wednesday, December 18, the foundation ceremony of the construction of a building of the Directorate of Cyberspace of the GEETHA, in the “Commander Alexander Papagos” camp.

“We will have new capabilities in the critical operational theater of cyber warfare and business intelligence,” Mr. Dendias.

During the ceremony of the new building of the Special Cyberspace Unit which is being built with a donation from the “Athanassios K. Charitable Foundation”. Laskaridis”, a consecration took place by the senior colonel Nektarios Markakis, followed by the installation of a foundation slab.

The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Minister of National Defense Ioannis Kefalogiannis, the MP Sevasti Voloudakis, the Ambassador of the United States of America to Greece Georgios Tsounis, the donor and founder of the Athanasios K. Laskaridis” Athanasios Laskaridis, the president of the Foundation “Athanasiou K. Laskaridis” Evi Lazou – Laskaridis, the president of the charitable foundation “Aikaterinis Laskaridis” Honorary Rear Admiral Panagiotis Laskaridis, the managing director of ELEMKA SA Ioannis Mytilinaios.

On behalf of the military leadership, the head of the GETHA, general Dimitrios Houpis, the head of the General Staff, lieutenant general Georgios Kostidis, the head of the General Staff, vice-admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras PN, the head of the General Staff, vice-captain (I) Demosthenes Grigoriadis, as well as senior and senior officers attended .

In his speech, Mr. Dendias, among other things, made it clear that the purpose “is not just to support the Armed Forces of our country, but as a whole the wider Greek public sector, if you want Greek society, from the threats of the time we live in”.

Referring to the war in Ukraine, he pointed out that “the wider security situation forces Greece to review its decades-long doctrines”.

“A few days ago”, he continued, “after he had presented himself to the Prime Minister Mr. Mitsotakis, I presented to the Greek Parliament the New Structure of the Armed Forces for the next 12 years (2024-2035), which is the backbone of our great reform, the “Agenda 2030″. The biggest, as the prime minister said, reform in the modern history of the Greek Armed Forces”.

And I dare to say, after having a word of knowledge, that when “Agenda 2030″ is completed, Hellenism will now line up the most powerful Armed Forces in its history” said Mr. Dendias.

“Part of this reform is the establishment and operation of the Unit that will be housed in the building we are establishing today. I would also like to take this opportunity to present another donation from Mr. Thanasis Laskaridis as an example. Modern benefactors have embraced the Greek Armed Forces, in continuation of a timeless tradition of Hellenism, which, to be honest with each other, had shown signs of fatigue in the previous decades,” added the Minister of National Defense.

Regarding the donations to the Ministry of National Defense, he said that for 2024 “they will exceed 26 million. euros” while the total donations last year were 234,000 euros.

“Already, we consider this increase to be a support to the Armed Forces. We hope that in 2025 we will exceed this limit” added Mr. Dendias.

“Already, I have ordered the creation of a Special Sub-Directorate to handle donations in the General Directorate of Finance. Because you know that the Greek State is usually a difficult donor. It even bothers the donor. The process through the Ministry of Finance and the Greek bureaucracy is often laborious and tests the intention of the donor” explained Mr. Dendias.

On the other hand, he underlined that “we have a society that stands behind the Armed Forces”.

He noted that the vast majority “of the 260 colleagues in the Greek Parliament” voted for defense spending in the budget, “not as a vote of confidence in our own government, but as support for the effort of the Armed Forces, support for the defense of our country.”

Referring to Mr. Laskaridis, said that the country “makes every effort, within a very narrow, I must say, fiscal framework, to modernize the Armed Forces. And every donation, every offer, which contributes in this direction, is not only welcome. I dare say it is absolutely necessary for us.”

Finally, he expressed “the deepest gratitude” of himself and the leadership, “but also of the Armed Forces as a whole, for the act of national responsibility”.