Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has pledged €100 million in funding for Mount Athos during a two-day official visit that began on Friday, 4 July.
Arriving by helicopter in Karyes, the administrative centre of the monastic republic, Mitsotakis was welcomed with full honours by the Holy Community’s governing body, the Double Synaxis, alongside Elder Avraam, the Protos, and Civil Governor Alkiviadis Stefanis.
The Prime Minister’s son Konstantinos accompanied him on the visit.
Mitsotakis visited the Protaton church, where he venerated the sacred icon of the Virgin Mary “Axion Esti” and participated in a doxology before delivering a formal address in the Synod Hall.
There, he announced the allocation of €100 million from EU structural funds, intended for infrastructure upgrades, restoration works, and the preservation of the cultural and religious heritage of Mount Athos.
“I have come here in the past as a private citizen, as a party leader, and now as prime minister,” Mitsotakis said, expressing his gratitude for the monks’ warm welcome.
He reiterated the state’s enduring commitment to supporting Mount Athos, calling it a spiritual and national symbol of Orthodoxy.
He also framed Greece’s role as one of wider responsibility, noting: “The state has a duty to stand by the monastic republic and the broader Christian communities in the surrounding regions, including the Middle East.”
The visit further underlined the government’s focus on heritage preservation, spiritual identity, and regional Christian solidarity.
Source: tovima.com
