Vice Admiral Theodoros Mikropoulos, Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, has commenced his official visit to Sydney with a series of high-level engagements ahead of the 84th Anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Crete.
Accompanied by Commander Dimitrios Lekkakos and Colonel Kyriakos Kyriakakos, Defence Attaché of the Hellenic Republic in Canberra, Vice Admiral Mikropoulos began his day on Wednesday with a formal visit to the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney. The delegation was warmly received by Consul General Ioannis Mallikourtis.
A productive discussion followed on the services provided by the consulate and the strength of the Greek diaspora in Australia. The meeting concluded with a commemorative gift exchange and a group photo to mark the occasion.
Later in the day, the delegation continued their official program with a visit to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (GOAA). They were accompanied once again by Consul General Mallikourtis and received on behalf of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia by Their Graces Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia and Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis.
Inside the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Redfern, the Bishops provided an overview of the cathedral’s historical and theological significance. The delegation was then taken through the central offices of the Archdiocese, where they were briefed on the church’s wide-ranging pastoral, educational and social initiatives.
The visit concluded with an exchange of symbolic gifts. Vice Admiral Mikropoulos presented a plaque commemorating the 84th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete, while Bishops Christodoulos and Iakovos gifted the delegation a set of commemorative coins marking the centenary of the GOAA.
