National Defense Minister Nikos Dendias represented Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the ceremony for the naming of ‘Perseas’, a ship of general support/special operations, and its integration in the Hellenic Navy on Tuesday.
The event took place at the Salamis Naval Base and was attended by Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
The ship was donated to the Greek navy by ‘Aikaterini Laskaridis’ Foundation president, shipowner, and rear admiral (ret) Panagiotis Laskaridis.
“We are proud of our Navy, from antiquity to the present,” Minister Dendias said. “It has been said that our Navy was never defeated. Today, as well, on one hand it defends national interests, guarding maritime space, and on the other it promotes our flag in a series of missions of great national and European importance, whether off the shores of Lebanon in a United Nations operation, the ‘Irini’ mission, north from the shores of Libya, or the ‘Aspides’ operation, the greatest operation the European Union has ever undertaken,” he added.
The minister also spoke of “the memory of a national example” of great benefactors in Greece who invested and spent their hard-earned funds for the nation, and urged Greek shipowners to follow Laskaridis’ example.
The ceremony was attended by deputies, representatives of the church and armed forces, local government, and others.
