– The opening celebration of the 69^th Thessalonica International Expo constitutes a significant landmark, since it takes place in a historically vital period for Greece and the Hellenic Police Force.

– During this period, the Hellenic Police Force shaped the new order, the new reality, and the new secure environment in our country.

– This beginning of this period was hailed with the dismantling of domestic terrorism.

– In the course of this period, we all witnessed the secure manner in which was held all the work of the Greek Presidency of the European Union.

– This period reached its peak by organizing the Olympic Games in an environment of absolute security.

– It is this period that is oriented today by the Paralympic Games.

– However, this same period marks a new beginning for the Hellenic Police Force.

– We will follow a course of action full of vision and perspectives. Our vision and our perspectives for the following day. The day after is a day of never-ending responsibility for all that we have achieved so far.

– Indeed, we have achieved a lot.

– Nowadays Greece enjoys the services of a Police Force that I have repeatedly qualified as “a Police Force of enhanced capabilities”. It is a Police Force manned with specialized staff and provided with state-of-the-art equipment. The staff of the Hellenic Police Force has a strong sense of duty, high spirit and self-esteem. It all but lacks in experience and expertise. It is based on new structures and a new mentality. It is an efficient Police Force with new and integrated police patrolling systems and sophisticated courses of action. It is a Police Force that the citizens can and indeed do trust. It has done away with dogmatic spirit, prejudice and all sorts of stereotypes. It is present and highly active abroad. It enjoys international authority and recognition.

– All this constitutes today a huge trust. An important heritage. A heritage that will become our “compass” in the path we will follow in the future within this new domestic and international environment of security.

– Last year, before the Olympic Games, from this same stand, I had pointed out the fact that the Hellenic Police Force is not called upon to prove anything but to confirm it.

– This year I will once more repeat that the Hellenic Police Force is called upon to confirm itself once again. To confirm that it can move forward. Personally, I am completely convinced that our Police Force can indeed do that.

– The Hellenic Police Force can consolidate and maintain the security conditions in our country. Our country has the lowest level of crime in Europe and elsewhere abroad.

– It can upgrade the role it plays and its position. It can develop modern ways of dealing with crime and acting in a collective way. It can delve a lot more into its relationship with society.

– It can enlarge the field of cooperation with the citizens. It can gain even more authority and respect as far as the citizens are concerned.

– It can continue with the work of restructuring and modernizing its operational capacity, by improving its institutional framework as well as its functional organization.

– It can standardize a new model of applied security strategics not only at the planning but also at the operational level.

– It can make the best of the Olympic Security Model, which currently is the main subject of talks at the international scale, by offering its expertise in countries hosting big sports events.

– It can transfer experience and know-how beyond our national borders, participating in international efforts of stabilization of “hot” or “sensitive” areas.

– It can enhance its cooperation at the European and international level, by promoting strategies to deal with new forms of crime.

– It can apply a new model of cooperation and police diplomacy with the Balkan countries and the countries of South East Europe, in order to deal with security matters on a joint basis.

– It can become a factor of substantial regional stability in the greater area. It can rise up to become a force of power to the benefit of our country΄s international relationships.

– These are the objectives that the Hellenic Police Force can and indeed must achieve. They are, in essence, its “passport” for the future.

– The successful Olympic Games drive this commitment for this new challenge.

– Ladies and Gentlemen,

– I qualified the opening of the Thessalonica Expo by the term “landmark”, because what I precisely wanted to point out is that our presence here today, the presence of the Hellenic Police Force, does not represent the end of our course of action. Nor does it imply that this is our moment of triumph. On the contrary, our presence here today marks our moving on to another period in time.

– In this new period, security is not the objective but the prerequisite. It is the prerequisite for a normal way of being insofar politics, economics, society and civilization are concerned. It is a pre-condition for social cohesion and prosperity, for stability and growth.

– With these last thoughts, let me invite you Mr. Deputy Minister to celebrate the opening of the Hellenic Police Force stand.