By Panagiotis Dalatariof
At the opening ceremony of the 1st Global Summit of Hellenic Lawyers, Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Greeks Abroad, Ioannis Michail Loverdos, spoke to The Greek Herald.
He confirmed that he will be visiting Australia from 8 to 26 October, acknowledging the government’s absence from the country in recent years.
The Deputy Minister spoke about the cities he plans to visit, as well as the key issues he hopes to see resolved before his arrival – including double taxation, the passport backlog, and the land registry.
He emphasised that it is both his intention and priority to resolve these long-standing matters and expressed hope that by the time of his visit, he will have positive outcomes to report.
What are your feelings about your upcoming visit to Australia this October?
It brings me great joy, great honour, and above all, deep emotion. I must confess that I feel very bad that it has been so many years since we’ve made an official visit to Australia. That was a mistake – one that will be corrected.
The directive I have received from the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is to build strong bridges with Greeks wherever they may be.
The Greeks of Australia are the most dynamic community of the Greek diaspora. We want you to know that we stand with you and we love you.
I will express this love through my own presence throughout Australia this coming October. I intend to visit Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and even Hobart in Tasmania – because Hellenism is everywhere.
What are the issues you will be addressing during your visit to Australia?
I am aware that there are many complaints regarding consular matters, especially passports. This is one of the issues we are working hard to resolve. I also know that double taxation is a major issue. This is another area where I hope we can soon share more positive news. Also, all the issues that concern the diaspora, I am aware that there are also problems with the Land Registry (Ktimatologio) in Greece.
These are issues that I hope I will be able to respond to during my visit to Australia in October. I truly hope we succeed. That is my intention.
