Pachoulides sworn in as national guard’s deputy chief

Major general Neofytos Pachoulides was on Thursday sworn in as the national guard’s new deputy chief.

His swearing in took place at a ceremony at the Presidential palace in Nicosia, during which President Nikos Christodoulides stressed that he had been appointed “on the basis of meritocracy”.

Addressing Pachoulides directly during his speech, Christodoulides said, “I expect that you will respond to your duties, that you will first cooperate with the defence minister [Vasilis Palmas], whom I have known for many years and trust completely, as well as with the national guard chief [George Tsitsikostas].”

He added that Tsitsikostas “works with actions and not words, despite his brief stay in Cyprus.”

“We are lucky to have him as our national guard chief,” he said.

“I am sure that with your reinforcement and support, the National Guard will be strengthened even more. We are undertaking an effort to evolve the national guard into a semi-professional army. At the same time, strengthening the Republic of Cyprus’ deterrent power is a priority,” he said.

He said this was the case “not only due to the fact that the illegal occupation is continuing”, but that as a member state of the European Union, Cyprus “has obligations to which we must respond.”

“We are in an area of particular geostrategic importance, and we see developments every day,” he said.

Pachoulides also briefly spoke at the ceremony, saying he “will work for the implementation of [Christodoulides’] programme in the fields of security and defence, making the national guard ready to meet the state’s demands.”

He replaces the retiring lieutenant general Loucas Hadjimichael, who, in a letter leaked to newspaper Phileleftheros, said he had been “absolutely humiliated” in his last few months in the role.

He said he had wished to visit all of the national guard’s camps and outposts in June and July, but that he had been banned from doing so, in what he described as “an attempt to degrade the institution and the value of the Cypriot deputy chief, the senior active Cypriot officer, and also the Cypriot officer himself as an entity.”

“I am really saddened by what is happening, but this sadness does not reduce my excessive satisfaction, to feel entirely complete, as an officer, full of beautiful moments and experiences,” he said, adding that he will “leave proud” when he officially retires on Saturday.