Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greeks Abroad, Ioannis Loverdos, visited Brisbane and the Gold Coast on Monday as part of his official tour of Australia, where he met with church leaders, local officials and members of the Greek community.
Loverdos was accompanied by H.E. the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, Honorary Consul of Greece in Brisbane, George Mastrokostas, the Secretaries-General of the Ministry of the Interior, Athanasios Balermpas and Dimitrios Karnavos, and the Head of the Directorate-General for Citizenship, Katerina Ouli.
In Brisbane, the Deputy Minister met with His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane and later visited the Greek Orthodox Community of St George, where he was welcomed by President Freda Valassakis and parish members.
Later in the day, Loverdos travelled to the Gold Coast, where he visited the Greek Orthodox Church of St Anna and met with the community’s President, Sandra Voukelatou.
During his meetings, Loverdos expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Greek community of Queensland for their unwavering commitment to preserving Greek identity, customs and traditions, assuring them that Greece remains steadfast in supporting its diaspora through concrete initiatives that strengthen their bonds with the homeland.
While on the Gold Coast, the Deputy Minister also met with Mayor Tom Tate, who praised the significant contribution of the Greek community to the cultural and social fabric of the city.
The visit concluded with a moving ceremony at the Honorary Consulate of Greece in Brisbane, where two Australians of Greek descent were sworn in as Greek citizens. The Deputy Minister personally read the oath and welcomed them into the Greek nation – a moment filled with pride and emotion.
