Stavros Venizelos, who formerly served as the Consul General of Greece in Libya, has been named the new Ambassador of Greece to Australia.
On Thursday January 18, Mr Venizelos visited the embassy of Australia in Athens, where he met with Australia’s Ambassador to Greece, Alison Duncan.
Ms Duncan congratulated Mr Venizelos and wished him a successful term in Australia.
“I am sure he will receive a warm welcome, and we all look forward to working closely to deepen the bilateral relations between the two sides,” Ms. Duncan said.
Mr Venizelos played a crucial role in the first critical hours of the tragic accident in Derna, Libya, where five Greeks lost their lives in September 2023 during a mission of the Armed Forces in Libya to provide assistance to flood-stricken residents.
The new Ambassador was essentially the sole link between Libya and Athens. Under his responsibility, contact was made with the hospitals where the injured were treated, and communication with the Libyan authorities was established.
Mr Venizelos was also responsible for the challenging task of communicating with the families of the victims. He also oversaw the transportation of their remains, which was carried out by a C-27 transport aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force.
The transported individuals included three members of the Armed Forces (two medical personnel and a lieutenant colonel of the Special Forces) and the two interpreters who participated in the mission on behalf of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
