Greek and Cypriot politicians and diplomats have issued messages to Australia’s Greek diaspora ahead of Christmas Day on Thursday, December 25.
Message by Greece’s President, Konstantinos Tasoulas
Dear compatriots,
Greek women and men throughout the world,
With feelings of joy and honour, I address this message of goodwill to each and every one of you, the worthy members of the Greek Diaspora, on the occasion of the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Although you live far from your ancestral homes, you always carry Greece in your thoughts and in your hearts. Despite your daily struggles, you never fail to preserve intact your bonds with the motherland.
Your presence across the length and breadth of the world constitutes for all of us a precious national asset, as you serve as a bridge of friendship between Greece and the countries in which you are active and excel. Through your ethos, diligence and ceaseless forward-looking effort, you leave an indelible mark across all fields of human endeavour — in business, politics, letters, science and culture. With devotion to the values of Hellenism and with determination, you defend our national interests on a daily basis, promote Greece’s image internationally, and safeguard the Greek language and culture to the farthest corners of the world. Your contribution to the historical course of our homeland is invaluable, and for this we are grateful to you.
I assure you that the Greek State will always stand by the side of Hellenism worldwide and will seek to maintain strong bonds with it, undertaking, among other initiatives, actions to strengthen Greek language proficiency and Greek studies internationally.
Within this framework, 2025 bids us farewell with exceptional news: the adoption and ratification by UNESCO’s 43rd General Conference of the decision to proclaim 9 February as World Greek Language Day. This decision represents the culmination of a long-standing effort by Greece and Greeks across the world. The international recognition of the Greek language’s contribution to humanity’s global cultural heritage is a development of historic significance, as it highlights the importance of the language shared by Greeks uninterruptedly for 3,000 years — the language through which the universal values of democracy and humanism were expressed, as well as the spiritual principles of Christianity: love and hope.
Amid ongoing geopolitical realignments, as well as complex hybrid threats that test international peace and security and the resilience of democratic institutions, Greece continues to strengthen its role as a pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans. Through significant infrastructure projects, it steadily enhances its geostrategic role as an energy hub, reinforcing energy security in Europe.
At the same time, it remains committed to the principles and values of the European Union, as well as to the defence of state sovereignty and territorial integrity and the rules of International Law that govern the international legal order. As a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, it intervenes dynamically in favour of the peaceful resolution of international disputes and the strengthening of global security.
Through strategic alliances, reliable partnerships and a multidimensional foreign policy, our country safeguards its national rights while simultaneously investing in the strength of the Greek Diaspora, recognising Greek communities as the critical connecting link for the promotion of our national identity in the modern world.
Greek women and men abroad,
With appreciation for your contribution to strengthening the Homeland and to building a better future for the next generations of Greeks throughout the world, I wish you from the bottom of my heart a Merry Christmas and a happy and creative New Year, with health, progress and prosperity.
Message by the Ambassador of Greece in Australia, Stavros Venizelos:
Dear Friends,
As we celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year, I extend my warmest wishes to all members of the Greek community in Australia. May this festive season bring joy, peace, and good health to you and your families.
These days invite us to reflect on the values and traditions that unite us, no matter how far we may be from our homeland. Our customs rooted in our Greek Orthodox faith, our strong family bonds, and our rich cultural heritage are treasures that continue to guide and inspire us. They strengthen our identity and enrich the multicultural fabric of Australian society.
Let us proudly preserve these traditions and pass them on to the next generations, keeping alive the spirit of Hellenism and the hope it carries. Christmas reminds us that love, compassion, and solidarity can illuminate even the most challenging times.
May the New Year bring prosperity, harmony, and happiness to all.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Message by the High Commissioner of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis:
Dear compatriots,
This week, we chant “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth,” and our hope for peace on earth — which was not fulfilled even in the year now ending — will be renewed. It will be renewed at Christmas, the great feast of love, and it will be renewed again in the new year, 2026, which we hope will be more peaceful.
Our diaspora on this beautiful continent, where so many nationalities live in peace and harmony, continues to progress and prosper. The ocean that washes its eastern shores was also named Pacific, because peaceful is how the first seafaring explorers found it. Likewise, the inhabitants of its countless islands are usually peace-loving and well-intentioned.
By contrast, back in our homeland, in Europe and in our own Eastern neighbourhood, peace remains an elusive dream. This is true both in martyred Ukraine and in the Holy Land, where Jesus Christ was born in a humble manger in Bethlehem.
Despite the initial signs of peace that have emerged through the ongoing mediating efforts of the United States and the European Union, evil does not bend easily, nor does hatred readily leave the hearts of people. Compassion and forgiveness are regarded as weaknesses, while ingratitude and greed are seen as virtues.
In our own homeland, Cyprus, 51 years of occupation have already been completed. And despite the continuous efforts of our government over the past eight years, there has been no dialogue or negotiation that could lead to a solution, based on the parameters agreed upon decades ago. Following the collapse of the last effort in 2017, the Turkish side revived its demand for the permanent partition of the island and the recognition of the illegal entity it established.
The change of leadership within the Turkish Cypriot community, however, a few weeks ago, gave rise to new hopes for the resumption of talks, despite the tough terms and conditions that are periodically set. The only basis for discussion and the sole objective that the two communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, should have is the reunification of our country within a federal framework, as provided for by the relevant resolutions of the United Nations. And insofar as the people of our island largely share this goal, there remains hope for peace and prosperity in a common homeland. This hope we shall not relinquish, but will renew with the new year.
At the same time, in the first half of the new year, 2026, on 1 January, the Republic of Cyprus will assume, for the second time since its accession to the European Union in 2004, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It does so with a sense of responsibility and confidence. It has set as its aim the further promotion of Europe as a region in which Cyprus serves as its bridge to Asia and North Africa. At the same time, it will advance the priorities and agenda of the European Union in a number of important areas, such as housing, innovation, competitiveness, energy security, water management, maritime policy, innovation and the digital economy.
Our country never forgets, of course, that its foremost priority is dialogue and efforts towards liberation and reunification, nor does it forget that one of the catalysts — perhaps the most crucial — in this endeavour is our participation in the great European family. In this great effort, no one is superfluous, and our country needs the diaspora more than ever. Its strength has always been the unity of Hellenism across the five continents, our Orthodox faith, and the lessons of a history spanning three millennia.
Merry Christmas to all, and a happy New Year!
