New vessel Atlas I launched in Salamina Naval Base enters in Hellenic Navy.

On Monday, 2 December 2019, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos, the Minister of National Defence, Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General (HAF) Christos Christodoulou, and the Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Nikolaos Tsounis HN, attended the ceremony for the naming and induction to the Hellenic Navy of General Support Ship "ATLAS-1", which took place in Salamis Naval Base.

 Induction Ceremony of General Support Ship "ATLAS-1" to the Hellenic Navy (Picture source: Ministry of National Defence)

A new platform support vessel, the Atlas I, was commissioned into the Hellenic Navy this week, during a ceremony at the Salamina anchorage in the greater Piraeus area.

The ship is yet another kind donation by the President of "Aikaterini Laskaridis" Foundation, Mr. Panagiotis Laskaridis.

In his address, the Minister of National Defence, Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, stated the following:

"It is a great pleasure to be here today at Salamis Naval Base for the naming ceremony and the induction of a General Support Ship to our Fleet as a result of yet another praiseworthy contribution initiative by Mr. Panagiotis Laskaridis to our Navy. So, the close connection of Panagiotis Laskaridis with the Hellenic Navy and his multifaceted contribution to it affirms in the best manner the unbreakable bond between the Hellenic Merchant Marine and the Hellenic Navy as joint guardians of Greek naval power and seamanship.

During the ceremony, President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos, sent a clear message to Turkey. The Greek president reiterated that Greece seeks friendship and good neighbourhood relations with Turkey, and supports its accession to the EU, but this implies respecting international law and European legality. He condemned Turkey’s intervention in Syria and reiterated that the Cyprus issue is an international and EU issue.

Greece will defend its legal right to define its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and that, in this respect, it has the “active support” of the European Union, NATO and the United States.

The new Hellenic vessel "Atlas I" will be dedicated to support other Fleet vessels with fuel and supplies. The ship measures 70 meters in length and has a displacement of roughly 3,000 tons.