Freedom, security and justice are not a given, Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas said on Monday, marking Armed Forces Day.

The sentiment was echoed later by National Guard chief George Tsitsikostas speaking at a service at the Apostolos Varnavas Cathedral. “With the enemy within the gates, we are obliged to be constantly ready,” he said.

He called on the National Guard to have “operational readiness, determination, high morale and a victorious spirit.”

Tsitsikostas added that strengthening the national guard was “of utmost importance.”

He said the National Guard works in collaboration with the police to monitor illegal migration into the country.

He praised the “impeccable coordination with the defence ministry, as was evident in the sharp drop of this year’s illegal arrivals, asylum applications, and the departure of over 9,000 third-country nationals in 2025 alone.”