Australian Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, met with Greek Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, at the Acropolis during her official visit to Greece on December 8.
During the meeting, the female ministers discussed potential cultural synergies between Greece and Australia.
The President of the Acropolis Monuments Conservation Committee, Professor Manolis Korres, also gave a small tour and shared his knowledge of the Acropolis with Minister Payne, the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary, Kathryn Campbell, and Australia’s Ambassador to Greece, Arthur Spyrou.
READ MORE: Foreign Minister Payne: Greek Australians play important role in advancing bilateral relations.
Afterwards, Minister Payne visited the Acropolis Museum and was offered a tour by the museum’s Director-General, pre-eminent archaeologist, Professor Nikolaos Stampolidis.
At the end of her trip, Minister Payne met with staff at Australia’s Embassy in Greece and officially inaugurated the building. Ms Campbell also presented awards to seven of the staff who have been serving for more than 20 years.
This was the first official trip of an Australian Foreign Minister to Greece in 10 years and Minister Payne spent much of her time praising the connection between Greece and Australia.
The Foreign Minister also held a meeting with her Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, at the start of her trip where she highlighted the important role Greek Australians play in advancing bilateral relations between Greece and Australia.
