Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits military outposts on Ro and Stroggyli islets
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis inspected military facilities on Ro and Stroggyli on 12 September 2026, paying tribute to Despoina Achladioti and reviewing infrastructure on Kastellorizo.
Defence infrastructure inspections on Ro
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrived on the islet of Ro on the morning of Saturday, 12 September 2026, to inspect local surveillance outposts and newly upgraded military infrastructure. Mitsotakis received a briefing regarding the newly constructed pier that facilitates naval docking and logistics for the remote outpost. Armed forces personnel guided the prime minister through the newly constructed central outpost facility, as well as the newly built kitchen facilities and dining quarters. The delegation also inspected recently completed guest houses and living quarters constructed specifically for Hellenic Armed Forces personnel deployed on the island. During the site tour, Mitsotakis spoke directly with active duty officers and conscript soldiers serving their compulsory military service at the border station.
- Tours new surveillance outpost, pier, and guest quarters, and meets stationed personnel.
- Lays a wreath at the Lady of Ro monument and visits her home-turned-museum.
- Inspects surveillance outpost at Greece's easternmost inhabited territory.
- Boards the Hellenic Navy missile patrol boat Ypoploiarchos Grigoropoulos.
- Meets Mayor Nikolaos Asvestis to review completed and ongoing local infrastructure.
Memorial visit to the Lady of Ro
While on Ro, the prime minister attended a commemorative ceremony paying tribute to Despoina Achladioti, known across Greece as the Lady of Ro. Mitsotakis laid an official wreath at her monument on the islet before touring her former residence, which has been converted into a museum. Achladioti lived on the rocky border islet for decades, systematically raising the Greek flag every single day, a practice identified with uninterrupted Greek presence in the frontier area. Four New Democracy members of parliament for the Dodecanese constituency, Giannis Pappas, Emmanouil Konsolas, Mika Iatridi, and Vasilis-Nikolaos Ypsilantis, joined the prime minister at the memorial. The parliamentary representatives and regional delegates reviewed the preserved residence and museum displays documenting her life on the island.
Outpost review on Stroggyli
The journey to the nearby islet of Stroggyli marked another stage of the second day of the prime minister's tour across the easternmost border region of Greece. Stroggyli is the easternmost inhabited geographic point in the entire Greek territory, providing distinctive strategic weight to the government delegation's presence. Mitsotakis visited the local military surveillance post on the islet, inspecting defensive works and greeting stationed personnel. Hellenic National Defence General Staff Chief General Dimitrios Choupis took part in the operational inspection alongside the prime minister. Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis and South Aegean Regional Governor Giorgos Chatzimarkos also accompanied the inspection team across the outpost grounds.
Naval inspections and civil projects in Kastellorizo
The Saturday programme also encompassed civil and naval inspections across the main island of Kastellorizo. In the island harbour, Mitsotakis boarded the Hellenic Navy fast guided missile patrol boat Ypoploiarchos Grigoropoulos, which is currently docked at the port. The itinerary scheduled a formal meeting between the prime minister and the Mayor of Megisti, Nikolaos Asvestis, together with members of the local authority. Their talks reviewed public works and municipal infrastructure that have recently reached completion or remain actively underway across the island group. The prime minister and regional officials surveyed civic development projects aimed at sustaining public services and local transport connectivity on the border island.
