"My priority as Minister of Defense is the people, the veterans, and the military of the present thinking about the future," said Nuno Melo, who spoke in Aveiro during the military ceremony that marks the closing of the Navy Day 2024 celebrations.

Before an audience of thousands of people who attended the ceremony, the minister said that in the superior military council, which took place recently, the first step was taken for "the fair and salary appreciation of the Portuguese military based on the principle of equating with other dimensions of sovereignty to be implemented as soon as possible".

The governor also hopes that as soon as possible, "some more justice that is mandatory, but possible, will be given to veterans".

Nuno Melo also assumed that national defense is a priority for this government, assuring that, despite budgetary constraints, he will seek to respond to the challenges that arise.

"I want to assure you that, with respect for the budgetary possibilities, we will seek the possible answers that allow the dignification of the armed forces, the appreciation of veterans, the updating of incentives for the recruitment and retention of the military, the productive and technological empowerment of the industry and the modernization and adequacy of equipment and facilities," he said.

In the same ceremony, the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Gouveia e Melo, said he was aware of the "hard work" that the government is doing to find "the retributive situation that corresponds to the fair balance between availability, competences and the demands of the military condition of those who serve at sea".

Admiral Gouveia e Melo also took stock of the three years of his command, which is coming to an end, noting that "many changes have been implemented in the area of personnel, material, finance and operations to empower the Navy for this century".

"It was three years transforming the Navy", said Gouveia e Melo, highlighting the investment made to renew the squadron with 17 new ships, which will make the Portuguese Navy "truly significant" to be "the agents of the State at sea".

However, the admiral warned that, in order to maintain its operationality, the Navy needs to find a short-term solution that "resolves the limitations of the Alfeite SA arsenal created in the maintenance of the squadron".

"We are ready to make all the necessary efforts so that this solution is implemented quickly," he said.

In his speech, Gouveia e Melo also mentioned that in 2023, the ships of the Portuguese Navy were engaged in missions for 4,946 days and traveled the equivalent of about 11 trips around the world, a value that the admiral considered to be exceptional for "a Navy of the (...) dimension" of Portugal.

The ceremony included the parade of the forces in parade, with the presence of more than 500 soldiers, and the naval demonstration with the simulation of various actions that took thousands of people to the Cais da Fonte Nova.

Navy Day is a national initiative that this year took place in Aveiro as part of the Aveiro National Capital of Culture 2024 program.

The program included a set of activities over several days, including demonstrations of military tactics or 'drones' and visits to the Escola Sagres Ship, which, for the first time in its 87 years of existence, is docked at Cais do Sal.

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