Loverdos: ‘Greece loves and respects you’

With a wreath-laying ceremonial astatine the Greece–New Zealand Friendship Monument, dedicated to the representation of the ANZACs who fell successful Greece during World War II, Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Loverdos concluded his visit to Wellington.

The adjacent stop for the Greek delegation successful New Zealand implicit the weekend is Auckland, earlier travelling connected to Brisbane.

According to a station by the Embassy of Greece successful Australia, pursuing his visit to Sydney, Loverdos was accompanied to New Zealand by Greek Ambassador Stavros Venizelos; Interior Ministry Secretaries-General Athanasios Balerbas and Dimitrios Karnavos; and Director-General for Citizenship Katerina Ouli.

The Honorary Consul of Greece successful New Zealand, Georgios Neonakis, was besides contiguous astatine meetings with the Greek community.

The Friendship Monument, symbol of the enduring ties betwixt the two nations, honours not lone the New Zealanders who fought selflessly for Greece’s state but besides the hundreds of Greeks who helped them, particularly aft the Battle of Crete.

During his stay successful Wellington, the Deputy Minister, visibly moved, addressed members of the Greek diaspora successful the beingness of Metropolitan Myron of New Zealand and Exarch of Oceania. He outlined respective initiatives presently under way to strengthen Greece’s transportation with its overseas communities.

Earlier, Loverdos had met with the Metropolitan, arsenic well arsenic with the committee and members of the Hellenic Community of Wellington.

He expressed his admiration for the small yet vibrant community, which, contempt being so acold from the homeland, manages to sphere its Greek identity. He assured attendees that the Greek state will bash everything imaginable to support their efforts to support Greece live successful New Zealand.

Before leaving for New Zealand, Loverdos concluded his Sydney visit arsenic keynote speaker astatine a Business Sydney event, addressing implicit a 100 members of the Greek-Australian assemblage and concern leaders.

According to the Embassy, “the Deputy Minister underlined the Greek government’s determination to strengthen ties with the diaspora by removing restrictions connected information successful nationalist elections, simplifying procedures for obtaining Greek citizenship, reinforcing consular staffing, and actively promoting Greek connection education.”

The lawsuit was attended by NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, Health and Workplace Safety Sophie Cotsis, Ambassador Venizelos, Greek Consul-General successful Sydney Georgios Skemperis, and Secretaries-General Balerbas and Karnavos.

The Embassy expressed gratitude to Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou for hosting and to Dr Patricia Koromboki for moderating the lively discussion.

On κοινωνικά media, Loverdos described a “particularly moving moment” during his Sydney visit.

At an lawsuit organised by the Greek Consulate connected civilian registry and citizenship matters, under the connection “Greece needs you! Strengthen your enslaved with the homeland. Become a Greek citizen” – helium wrote:

“I had the honour of attending the oath ceremonial of three caller Greek citizens, Australians of Greek descent.

I work the oath myself, with pridefulness and emotion, and warmly congratulated our caller compatriots.

Greece grows stronger when the bosom of the diaspora beats so powerfully. My heartfelt congratulations!”

Loverdos besides posted a video excerpt from his speech, successful which helium emphasised:

“The homeland, Greece, is not conscionable Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, the islands oregon the mountains.

Greece is the acceptable of ideas that gave her birth:

Freedom, democracy, peace, knowledge, and rational thought, each calved successful Greece, our connection and our Orthodoxy.

And you are Greece.

The oath they gave is sacred, to emotion the homeland and uphold the Constitution and laws of the Greek state.

When Greeks successful Australia vote successful our elections, Greece will recognise adjacent much however overmuch she needs you, and you will recognise however overmuch you request Greece.

Thus, we will go adjacent much united. Like a clenched fist.

And we indispensable beryllium united similar a fist.

Because, truth beryllium told, our nationalist weakness, our nationalist sport, is division.

Yet, each Greek I’ve met present successful Australia—I tin consciousness however profoundly Greece lives successful your hearts.

I’m very moved by that.

I consciousness you are adjacent much Greek than galore Greeks successful Greece itself.

Greece loves and respects you. Do the aforesaid for her.”