An exclusive breakfast hosted by Business Sydney, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney and supported by the Bank of Sydney, welcomed Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Hellenism Abroad, Ioannis Loverdos, on Thursday, October 9, at the Business Sydney Events Centre in the Sydney CBD.
The event brought together prominent figures from Sydney’s Greek business and community sectors to hear directly from Mr Loverdos, who is responsible for diaspora affairs within the Greek Government.
Distinguished guests in attendance included H.E. the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yiannis Loverdos; H.E. the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos; the Secretary General for Home Affairs and Organisation, Ministry of the Interior, Athanasios Balermpas; the Secretary General for Citizenship, Ministry of the Interior, Dimitrios Karnavos; Katerina Ouli, Head of the Directorate General for Citizenship at the Ministry of the Interior; the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, George Skemperis; His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Canberra; Anastasia Christofilopoulou, First Secretary for Public Diplomacy at the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney; and the Trade Commissioner of Greece to Australia, Chryssa Prokopaki.
Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou opened proceedings and acknowledged the partnership between Business Sydney, the Consulate and the Bank of Sydney.
Representing the Premier of NSW, Minister for Industrial Relations and Work Health and Safety, the Hon. Sophie Cotsis MP, delivered an opening address celebrating the historic and contemporary ties between Greece and Australia.
“Greece and Australia share a very special bond — our blood is in the soil of Greece,” Minister Cotsis said. “From the Battle of Crete to the sacrifices of our parents and grandparents who built parishes and Greek schools, today we see their success reflected in the powerhouses of this room.”
Minister Cotsis congratulated His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Canberra on his recent ordination and acknowledged Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Mr Venizelos, and Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Skemperis, for their ongoing work strengthening bilateral and community ties.
In his remarks, Ambassador Venizelos spoke of Greece’s renewed focus on its diaspora, explaining that the visit of Deputy Minister Loverdos represented a meaningful reconnection with Greek communities in Australia and New Zealand.
“The slogan ‘Greece needs you’ is not empty words,” the Ambassador said. “We are here to listen to the diaspora, their problems, their aspirations and their vision. Greece needs more Greek citizens to participate in elections, to influence political life, and to bring their knowledge and experience home.”
He also announced a forum on the role of Greek diaspora women in Australian society, to be held in Canberra on 25 November in partnership with The Hellenic Initiative of Australia.
Delivering his keynote address, Deputy Minister Loverdos spoke emotionally about the achievements of Greek Australians and the unity of Hellenism worldwide.
“You are all success stories of the Greek spirit abroad,” he said. “The Hellenic nation is not just the 10 million living in Greece, it is the 15 or 16 million Greeks around the world. We are one.”
Mr Loverdos highlighted Greece’s transformation since the financial crisis, citing economic stability and a strengthened international profile.
“Greece today is strong and proud. Our government is stable, our economy is growing, and Greek bonds now carry lower interest rates than those of Germany or France. We invite the diaspora to invest and be part of Greece’s new success story.”
He underscored language and Orthodoxy as the two pillars of Hellenic identity and noted cultural milestones, including UNESCO’s designation of 9 February as the International Day of the Greek Language in honour of Dionysios Solomos.
A Q&A moderated by Dr Patricia Koromvokis (Macquarie University) then connected policy with lived experience from the community. Mr Loverdos outlined several new initiatives to strengthen engagement with Greeks abroad, including:
- Establishing 29 April as Greece’s National Day of the Diaspora (honouring poet Giorgos Seferis).
- Digitising consular services, with a trial to begin in Perth before rolling out nationwide. The move builds on what Deputy Minister of the Interior Theodoros Livanios recently told The Greek Herald about the government’s new “e-Proxenio” online platform, a digital consular portal designed to streamline services such as citizenship, registry certificates and document authentication for Greeks abroad.
- Doubling foreign-service subsidies to attract more staff to posts abroad.
- Expanded support for Greek language education, including AI-assisted learning tools and additional scholarships for students of Greek descent.
- Progress on resolving double taxation and citizenship issues, with a “real solution” expected in the coming months; voting from abroad will be available for eligible citizens at the next national election.
“The diaspora is not just part of Greece’s past, it is vital to our future,” Mr Loverdos said. “We need you to vote, to invest, to engage, and to help shape the Greece of tomorrow.”
The morning concluded with the exchange of gifts and time for attendees to engage directly with the delegation over breakfast. Maria Karavias from the Bank of Sydney delivered a warm vote of thanks on behalf of the event partners, acknowledging the importance of strengthening business and community connections between Greece and Australia.
The atmosphere throughout was one of pride, optimism and unity, reflecting the enduring bond between the two nations.
Business Sydney, the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, and the Bank of Sydney were acknowledged for their partnership in hosting this significant diplomatic and community event.
