Diaspora the focus of House president meeting with Greek minister

House president Annita Demetriou met with Greek deputy foreign minister Giorgos Kotsiras on Wednesday in light of the ongoing World Conference of the Cyprus’ Diaspora.

Kotsiras is responsible within the Greek government for “Hellenism abroad”, and was joined at the meeting by the Greek ambassador to Nicosia Ioannis Papameletiou, diplomatic office director Dimitrios Giolasis, and special office director Athanasios Panagiotou.

Demetriou congratulated Kotsiras on his appointment to the role in June, and wished him every success in his “multifarious” work. She also expressed sadness regarding the ongoing fires in Greece, especially for the loss of human life, pledging Cyprus’ unwavering support for the relief efforts.

The pair underlined the “important role of Greek and Cypriot expatriates as the best ambassadors in the countries in which they live”.

They spoke of the need for a “modern approach” and integrated policy regarding Greeks and Cypriots abroad.

They agreed that this policy should strengthen their ties with their homelands, for their “maximum utilisation for the promotion of the goals and well-meaning interests of Hellenism”.

Demetriou pointed out the need for greater investment in the younger generations of the diaspora and the “added value” of parliamentary diplomacy.

Kotsiras expressed his joy at visiting Cyprus for the first time in his new role and said the Cypriot diaspora is “an integral part of Hellenism”.

He also highlighted the importance of “utilising the means and advantages provided by rapidly evolving technology to make contact with the diaspora, particularly young people”.