During the award ceremony of the Medal of Honor "Markos Daras" to the former President of the Republic and Honorary Professor of the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Mr. Prokopio Pavlopoulos on behalf of the Dredes, Mr. Pavlopoulos said the following:
"Before I refer to their invaluable offer Dredon during the National uprising of 1821 I must clarify that I accept the honor you bestowed on me exclusively and only as a reminder of my own Debt to defend, uninterruptedly and independently of office, our Homeland and especially our National Issues and Justice.
The Dredes remain, through their history and their devotion to the Homeland, a symbol of Rome, bravery and offering. A symbol, which inspires us over time, as to what our attitude should be - but also the attitude of the generations to come - during the consistent fulfillment of our National Debt.
As follows from this name, the Dredes were descendants of the Dorians, originating from the ancient Illyrians, Greeks of Epirus. They settled - already already Christian Orthodox - in Upper Messinia at the invitation of the Byzantine Emperors Manuel Kantakouzinos and Theodoros (AD) Palaiologos, built the famous Sulimochoria, as real "eagle nests" of the free , originally against the Franks.
But the culmination of their historical presence Dredon It comes in the years before and after the National Uprising of 1821. Sulimochoria were hotbeds of struggle and resistance against the Turks to such an extent that they not only spread fear in the conqueror but "poured" courage into the rebellious Greeks for the final success of the National Uprising and the creation of the Newer, independent and autonomous, Greek State.
The Dredes were friends and worthy comrades-in-arms of Theodoros Kolokotronis, who relied heavily on their contribution during the Struggle. The participation of the Dredes, especially in the Battles of Valtetsi, Tripolitsa, Dervenaki, Drambala, etc., attribute the due historical credit to this, indomitable and authentic, part of Hellenism.
The history of the Dredes and their heroism, during the Games of the National Uprising of 1821, show us today the way, as "indicators of course", and for the defense of our National Issues and our National Rights. In the face of Turkey's ruthless provocation - which is also a challenge to the international community and international legitimacy - we respond, united and unwavering, that in this defense we will enforce international and European law as a whole.
For both Greece and Cyprus, which is the last part of Hellenism that in part still has Turkish occupation, a real shame for the International Community and the European Union. We also remind our Partners in the European Union that Turkey's challenges and threats against Greece are both challenges and threats against the European Union. "Since our National Issues are, on the basis of this European Law, also Issues of the European Union."
photo http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/51171/photos - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vladimir_Putin_and_Prokopis_Pavlopoulos_(2016-01-15)_02_(cropped).jpg
