The President of the Hellenic Republic and the Governor-General of Australia made a special mention of the contribution of the Greek diaspora
The stable ties of friendship and cooperation between Greece and Australia, as well as the scope for strengthening bilateral relations between the two governments, were at the centρε of the meeting held on Tuesday, 2 May 2023, by the President of the Hellenic Republic, Ms. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and His General Excellency the Governor-General of Australia, Mr. David Hurley.
President Sakellaropoulou, welcoming to Greece the Governor- General of Australia, expressed her certainty that his presence in the country will contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations and underlined that “respect for the value of democracy, international law with an emphasis on law of the sea, is a common acknowledgement for our countries and it is the basis on which our relations rest”.
In particular, the President of the Hellenic Republic emphasised: “The stable ties of friendship between our two countries are characterized and enriched by traditional and long-standing friendship and strengthened by the presence of the Greek diaspora, which is the second largest in the world. The Greeks of Australia, with their dynamic presence in the political, social, economic and cultural development of your friendly country, strengthen the relations between our two countries”.
She also pointed out the presence of Greek-Australian senators and MPs in Australia’s political life, which “obviously further strengthens and strengthens the relations between our countries”. As She argued, “these relations have a common basis of respect and defense of freedom and democracy, and this became particularly intense in the First World War. For this reason I am glad that tomorrow we will have the opportunity to go to Lemnos in order to attend the event in honour of those who fell in the Gallipoli campaign”.
The President also reminded that “recently, with the war raging in Europe, Greece and Australia already shared a decisive stance and from the first moment they unequivocally condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which threatens global peace and stability and questions the values of democracy, which we all defend”.
Finally, Ms. Sakellaropoulou stated that “the governments of our two countries are committed to strengthening even more, at every opportunity, our bilateral relations, and I am sure that your presence here will contribute in this direction” and concluded by saying that “respect for the value of democracy, international law with an emphasis on the law of the sea, is a common acknowledgement for our countries and is the basis on which our relations are based”.
For his part, the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, His General Excellency Mr. Hurley, after thanking the President of the Hellenic Republic for the warm welcome, stated that he was excited to be in Greece and emphasised that there is a really strong relationship between our countries.
He mentioned that in the city where he grew up, Wollongong, “there were many Greek classmates or students whose families were from Greece” and noted: “And you quite rightly said that there is a very large Greek community in Australia that exceeds 500,000 in various cities, which continue to make a great contribution to political, cultural, and sporting life. Whichever field one mentions, one will always find someone of Greek origin participating.”
He also underlined that “our relationship includes many levels. There are the human ties that unite us, but there is also a deep respect for democracy and the rule of law, and the entire legislative system, which is built around those principles. Therefore, I think it is very important to raise this during my visit to your country.”
His Excellency pointed out that “most evidently, we have a common history, we have fought and you know we don’t just remain in words alone, we honour them in action”, and added: “Therefore, I am very happy that tomorrow we will go to Lemnos together to honour the nurses, but also the people of Lemnos, who helped so much at that time.”
In closing, he said that “on a personal level, I want to tell you that I am very happy to have come on this official visit, but I have also visited the country as a tourist and I am very glad that I was able to see another side of the life of your country” and added: “When I was young I wanted to be an archaeologist. I joined the Armed Forces, I dug very deep but not for archaeological purposes. I am always moved when I come to your country, the archaeological sites, the way they have been preserved and maintained really honour you and your people.”
It is noted that the Governor-General of Australia also laid a wreath at the monument to the Unknown Soldier, in the Constitution Square, while on Tuesday night he attended an official dinner hosted in his honour by the President of the Hellenic Republic.
