Loverdos visits Australia, New Zealand, the first deputy FM to do so since 2017

Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Loverdos completed the first visit of a Greek deputy minister since 2017 to Australia and New Zealand, during a tour from October 6 to 23.

The purpose of the visit was to discuss in person long-term issues of the Greek community and seek solutions. For this reason, Loverdos was accompanied by Secretary General of Interior & Organization Athanasios Balerbas, Secretary General of Citizenship Dimitrios Karnavos, and the head of General Directorate of Citizenship Aikaterini Ouli.

Loverdos paid a visit to cities with Greek communities that had never been visited before by a Greek official, such as Brisbane and Hobart.

The deputy minister met with nearly all diaspora agencies and outstanding members of the Greek communities, the local church authorities, university representatives, and Greek community media in both Australia and New Zealand. He also met with prominent representatives of the two countries’ political, economic, business, and social life. Loverdos briefed them about the initiatives for Greeks abroad by the Foreign Ministry, especially improved sevices and procedures through local consulates.

Issues discussed were digitized services through the e-proxeneio site, the renewal of passports for remote areas, more staffing at consulates, and the signing of an agreement between Greece and Australia to prevent double taxation, as well as the issue of voting in Greek elections.

Loverdos emphasized the issue of Greek language learning, using online tools, new scholarships, and programs in Greece hosting young people of Greek descent. To that effect, he presented the Chair of Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies at the University of Sidney with a grant of 10,000 euros, as part of an effort to support such chairs and departments abroad.

Among the numerous contacts the deputy minister had on his visit were with Archbishop Makarios of Australia, Metropolitan and Exarch Myron of Oceania, and local bishops.

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