President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine Tassoulas on Thursday attended the ceremony held at sea to welcome the arrival in Greek waters of the first FDI ‘Belharra’ frigate, the “Kimon”, that is to join the Hellenic Navy fleet. Also present at the ceremony were Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and Deputy National Defence Minister Thanasis Davakis.
Tassoulas arrived on the new Navy vessel by helicopter, landing on its helipad, where he was met by Hellenic National Defence General Staff chief General Dimitrios Houpis, Hellenic Navy General Staff chief Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras, the Hellenic Air Force General Staff chief Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, the Commander of the Fleet Vice Admiral Christos Sasiakos and the commanding officer of the “Kimon”, Commander Ioannis Kizanis.
In a brief statement from the bridge, before signing the visitors’ book, Tassoulas stated: “Today, Greece becomes stronger. Today, on January 15, 2026, Greece is being decisively made stronger, both practically and with respect to morale, thanks to the arrival of the groundbreaking ship ‘Kimon’, a 6th-generation ship that comes to reinforce the Hellenic Navy and our country’s deterrent power.”
“Today we are witnesses of a national achievement. The Hellenic Navy’s new deterrence doctrine is being implemented. The new doctrine of protecting Greece’s sovereignty and peace in the Southeastern Mediterranean is being implmented. Today, Greece had the privilege of seeing all generations of vessels that have protected its sovereignty and contributed to its greatness,” he added.
Tassoulas pointed out that the “Kimon” sailed up between the ancient Athenian trireme and the 20th-century warship “Averoff”, which had helped double the country’s size. He noted that the “Kimon”, full of promise for the present and future, will be incorporated into the Greek Navy alongside the remaining three frigates of the same type that will soon be delivered from France.
“ The ship’s technological capabilities are unprecedented. Its strategic capabilities are equally remarkable. And equally extraordinary is its impact on morale, boosting the already high morale of the men and women of the Hellenic Navy,” he added.
Welcoming the ship, he said it ushered in a new Greece, respected by friends and enemies alike, and capable of fending off threats more easily than ever
