World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (W.H.I.A.) Holds 15th General Assembly in Athens

ΠΑΓΚΟΣΜΙΑ ΔΙΑΚΟΙΝΟΒΟΥΛΕΥΤΙΚΗ ΕΝΩΣΗ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ (ΠΑ.Δ.Ε.Ε)
WORLD ΗΕLLENIC INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION (W.H.I.A)

Η Panhellenic Post έλαβε στις 30/07/2025 από την Zefi Kargidou, Director of Communications της (W.Η.Ι.Α.)  το ακόλουθο δελτίο Τύπου της Πα.Δ.Ε.Ε. το οποίο και αναδημοσιεύει.

Media Release

Athens, Greece.– The World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (PADEE-WHIA) convened its 15th General Assembly from July 20 to 25, 2025, in Athens, Greece, bringing together elected legislators of Hellenic descent from across the globe. The PADEE-WHIA’s members comprise over 90 parliamentarians and legislators of Greek origin from countries including the United States, Albania, Australia, Canada, France, Hungary, Sweden, Ukraine and other nations, united by a shared commitment to strengthening bonds among Greece, Cyprus, and the global diaspora.

The General Assembly opened on July 21 at the Hellenic Parliament, where participants were welcomed by senior officials including the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Nikitas Kaklamanis and received greetings from the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Legislators and other dignitaries also attended a welcome dinner hosted by PADEE-WHIA at Domus Asteria in Glyfada. Throughout the week, attendees met in the Hellenic Parliament and also participated in meetings and discussions with Cabinet ministers, Ambassadors, and other dignitaries.

The General Assembly which convenes every two years in Athens also included the election of a new Board of Governors for the 2025–2027 term. The newly elected leadership will guide PADEE-WHIA’s mission to promote cooperation across parliaments, support Hellenic initiatives by expanding cultural, educational, and investment ties between Greece, Cyprus and the diaspora communities worldwide.

Participants were welcomed by senior officials including the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Nikitas Kaklamanis

Key program highlights included:

• Meeting with the newly elected PADEE-WHIA board of governors and the President of the Hellenic Parliament.
• Joint session with Members of the Hellenic Parliament serving on the Special Permanent Committee on Greeks Abroad.
• Presentation on the Ecumenical Patriarchate by Emmanuel E. Velivasakis, Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, New York, USA.
• Address by Dr. M. Charakopoulos, Secretary General of the Inter-parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy.

Key Panel discussions including:

– “Public Diplomacy and Greeks Abroad,” with participation from Maira Myrogianni, Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– “Greece, Cyprus, and the Geopolitical Role in the Regional Energy Sector,” with participation from the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros N. Papastavrou.

– “The Education System and the Greek Language Within Greece and Abroad,” featured contributions from Deputy Minister of Education Konstantinos Vlassis; Professor Spiros N. Pollalis, President of Athens College; Edward Wingenbach, President of the American College of Greece; Dr. Peggy Pelonis, President of the American Community Schools; Louis Kokkinakos, Chairman of Plato Academy Schools in Florida, USA; and Members of PADEE-WHIA.

A meeting with Athanasios Davakis, Deputy Minister of National Defense as well as a tour of Souda Bay, Crete, which included briefings at NSA Souda, the Hellenic Navy Facilities (HNDGS), and the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Centre (NMIOTC).

Legislators at the General Assembly also passed important Resolutions on:

1. Resolution on the Greek and Pontic Genocide:

• Proclaiming May 19 each year as Greek and Pontic Genocide Remembrance, Recognition, Condemnation, and Education Day and called on the Republic of Turkey to recognize and atone for the genocide, urging international recognition and inclusion in education curricula.

2. Human Rights and Religious Freedom:

• Calling on PADEE-WHIA Member States to prioritize human rights and religious freedom, with emphasis on persecuted Christian communities in the Middle East and Asia Minor.
• Urging Turkey, Syria, and Egypt to protect the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Patriarchate of Antioch, and the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai.

3. Empowering women of the Hellenic diaspora in leadership, innovation and governance.
4. Consultations on Issues affecting Greeks Abroad

• Greek legislators should seek the opinion of PADEE-WHIA and its members during the policymaking process and on matters affecting Greeks abroad.

The PADEE-WHIA Board of Governors will now embark on a new term focused on translating these commitments into tangible actions—both through legislative diplomacy and community partnerships.

The newly elected PADEE-WHIA Board of Governors are as follows:

Leonidas Raptakis, President (U.S.A.)                       

Effie Triantafilopoulos, 1st Vice-President (Canada)

Steven Georganas, 2nd Vice President (Australia)     

Marietta Karamanli, Board member (France)          

Nicole Klarides-Ditria, Board member (U.S.A.)         

Annie Koutrakis, Board member (Canada)                    

Steve Malagari, Board member (U.S.A.)                      

Hryhoriy Nemyria, Board member (Ukraine)          

Kat Theophanous, Board member (Australia)          

For more information contact:

Zefi Kargidou, Director of Communications, zefi.kargidou@gmail.com

PADEE-WHIA

22-24 Amalias Avenue, 105 57 Athens, Greece

Tel +30-6947-325242

e-mail: info@padeewhia.org

PARTICIPANTS

ALBANIA

1. DOULES Evangelos, Member of Parliament
2. KURI Niko, Member of Parliament

AUSTRALIA

3. BONAROS Connie, Member of the Legislative Council, South Australia
4. DIMOPOULOS Steve, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Victoria
5. KOUTSANTONIS Tom, Minister for Energy and Mining, South Australia
6. PETINOS Eleni, MP, Member for Miranda, New South Wales
7. SAVVAS Olivia, MP, Member for Newland, South Australia
8. STAIKOS Nick, MP, Member for Bentleigh, Victoria
9. THEOPHANOUS Kat, MP, Member for Northcote, Victoria

CANADA

10. BABIKIAN Aris, Member of Provincial Parliament, Ontario
11. KOUTRAKIS Annie, Member of Parliament
12. MENEGAKIS Costas, Member of Parliament
13. NICOLAIDES Demetrios, Minister of Education, Alberta
14. PETROVIC Chelsae, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Alberta
15. TRIANTAFILOPOULOS Effie, Member of Provincial Parliament, Ontario

FRANCE

16. KARAMANLI Marietta, Member of Parliament

HUNGARY

17. KORANISZ Laokratisz, Advocate of Greek minority in Hungarian Parliament

SWEDEN

18. TSOUPLAKI Vasiliki, Member of Parliament

UKRAINE

19. NEMYRIA Hryhoriy, First Deputy Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament of Ukraine

USA

20. ALLEN John, Assemblyman, New Jersey
21. ANTHONY Stavros, Lieutenant Governor, Nevada
22. BOORAS Efstathia, State Representative, New Hampshire
23. CHEOKAS Mike, State Representative, Georgia
24. CONSTANTINE Savet, State Representative, Connecticut
25. COURPAS Tina, State Representative, Connecticut
26. HEFFERNAN Bill. State Representative, Connecticut
27. KLARIDES-DITRIA Nicole, State Representative, Connecticut
28. LEMONDES John, Assembly Member, NY
29. MALAGARI Steven, State Representative, Pennsylvania
30. MANOS Zoe, State Representative, New Hampshire
31. PAPPAS Sandra, State Senator, Minnesota
32. PAPPAS Stephan, State Senator, Wyoming
33. POULOS Christopher, State Representative, Connecticut
34. RAPTAKIS Leonidas, State Senator, Rhode Island
35. RICCIARDI Denise, State Senator, New Hampshire
36. SKARLATOS Alek, State Representative, Oregon
37. SKOUFIS James, State Senator, NY
38. SPIROS John, State Representative, Wisconsin
39. STAVRINAKIS Leonidas, State Representative, South Carolina
40. TRAVERS Stacey, State Representative, Arizona

ZIMBABWE

41. Haritatos Vangelis, Deputy Minister of Land, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement

ELECTED GUESTS

AUSTRALIA

1. Pangallo Frank, Member of the Legislative Council, South Australia
2. SPENCE Ros, Member of Parliament, Victoria

USA

3. BALLENTINE Nathan, State Representative, South Carolina
4. Caskey Micah, State Representative, South Carolina
5. HENDERSON-MYERS Rosalyn, State Representative, South Carolina
6. Rutherford Todd, State Representative, South Carolina
7. TEDDER Deon, State Senator, South Carolina
8. Wetmore Spencer, State Representative, South Carolina