To send a message that National Intelligence Service draws attention to external threats to the national security of the country, seeks government placing a diplomat and an army officer in the positions of two lieutenants.

this is the ambassador Yannis Raptakis and lieutenant general George Kellis, who were officially appointed to their positions yesterday by the decision of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Their choice was made a few weeks ago, but formalities delayed the publication of their names.

This was reported to “K” by competent sources of information. that, as the current administration is working on structural changes to the EYP, it is possible that there will not be a division of the two officers into a first deputy commander in charge of operations and a second deputy commander in charge of administrative matters. However, even if this particular model is adopted, it will be temporary.

OUR Lieutenant General Kellys 58 years old, was Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces. He is a qualified Civil Engineer from the Democritus University of Thrace and during his career served in the War Works and Engineering Directorate of Xanthi and the Infrastructure and Engineering Directorate of GES.

OUR Yannis Raptakis joined the Foreign Office in 1985 and served as ambassador to the UK, Vietnam and Laos, India and other countries. For two years 2019-2020. he was Foreign Minister for South-Eastern Europe, and previously also participated in EU working groups. on Schengen issues.

The appointment of a diplomat and a military officer to the positions of deputy commanders also shows the direction in which the service will be directed in the future.

Mr. Raptakis and Mr. Kellys succeeded Mr. Vassilis Grizis, Dionysios Melitsiotis and Anastasios Mitsialiswho were dismissed from their positions in the first decade of December.

According to one version, the removal of three officials has as its starting point the abolition of the position of the 3rd deputy commander, as provided for in the new law on the EMP. Since the question of the redistribution of responsibilities at the top of the EYP hierarchy arises, a decision was made to prematurely terminate the terms of office of three of its leaders.

“Restart”

At the same time, however, a high-ranking government official explained to K. that the government’s goal is to communicate that it is doing a total reset (‘reset’ as he characteristically put it) in EEM operations and has therefore radically changed the composition of the organization’s leadership.