PM Mitsotakis: National independence is a prerequisite to social cohesion and progress

This year's celebration of Greek Independence and the Virgin's Annunciation "is being celebrated under the shadow of a great tragedy," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday after the conclusion of a parade downtown.

Referring to the deadly train collision on February 28, he said that it was necessary to "become inspired by the triumphs of our country and learn from tragedies in this long trajectory of constant progress by the Greek state, the Greek nation, and the Greek people."

The March 25 anniversary also celebrates the Armed Forces, particularly the men and women who paraded holding the flag up high, conveying a sense of national pride, he underlined. "We must never forget that the significant funds allocated to national defense for airplanes, tanks, and ships come from the little available funding of the Greek people, but are absolutely necessary to guard our national independence, a prerequisite of social progress and social cohesion," the PM said, expressing his wishes for the day.