A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 21 - Tuesday, May 25th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Karamanlis Strengthens Ties with Omogenia
NEW YORK. – Prime Minister of Greece Costas Karamanlis said yesterday after a meeting with Archbishop Demetrios that the Greek Orthodox Church of America provides a strong link between “the mother land and the many Greeks that live and work in the United States.” This was the first official meeting that Mr. Karamanlis had during his first official visit to the United States. The Prime Minister, together with his wife Natasa Karamanlis, Government Spokesman Theodoros Rousopoulos, Minister of Foreign Affairs Petros Molyviatis and his vice-ministers Panayiotis Skandalakis and Yiannis Valinakis, as well as Ambassador Georgios Savaidis and General Consul Catherine Boura arrived Tuesday morning at the Archdiocesan offices, where they visited the Archdiocesan Chapel, followed closely by the press, and proceeded to the second floor of the building, where the Archbishop offered Mr. Karamanlis a silver disc with the Archdiocesan emblem. The Archbishop also offered Mr. Karamanlis Hippocrates’ eight-volume complete works. Upon completing their discussion, the two men made statements saying the meeting was held in an especially warm and friendly atmosphere. “I had the great pleasure of meeting with Archbishop Demetrios, with whom I share a strong friendship,” said Mr. Karamanlis. He added that the discussion focused on a variety of issues involving Hellenism in America. “I want to point out that the role of the Church is extremely important in providing great spiritual and religious support to Greeks in America. And I want to emphasize the importance of the Archdiocese’s work toward that goal,” he added, after congratulating the Archbishop for his contributions. The Archbishop also expressed his gratitude and pleasure in welcoming the Prime Minister, his wife and what he called, “an exceptional body of ministers from the Greek government,” to the Archdiocese. “We had the opportunity to exchange our thoughts and opinions about the modern needs both of the Greek Omogenia as well as of Greeks around the world and address the challenges posed by the enormous demands that are being placed on our country,” added the Archbishop, who reminded those present that the two million Greeks living in America form one fifth of the world’s Greek population. “We talked about our noble, great people, who always aim to outdo themselves and offer their services generously and wholeheartedly in every area,” added the Archbishop. “This is the great spirit of which Mr. Karamanlis and I talked about earlier and this is the spirit that our Prime Minister has brought with him to the United States,” added the Archbishop, who assured his guests that he will do everything he can on behalf of the Greek Church and everything “humanly possible” to assist their government’s mission. “You have my warmest wishes for a successful visit in the United States,” he exclaimed. The Archbishop also made a statement about the recent crisis in the Greek Church, saying that any difficulties must and will be dealt with appropriately. “I am absolutely certain that we can solve these issues,” he added. He said he did discuss the recent developments with the Prime Minister but did not relate the details of the discussion. When asked by The National Herald whether the meeting addressed educational issues, the Archbishop said that, “this is an important issue that has been dealt with by the Omogenia for many years. We will continue making progress with Greek education in America,” he concluded. After their meeting with the Archbishop, the Prime Minister and his cabinet visited The New York Times to attend a luncheon hosted in their honor by the publishers. They were later expected to meet with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan.
On Tuesday
evening, Mr. Karamanlis attended a gala hosted in
his honor by the World Council of Hellenes Abroad
at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan. |
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