Deputy FM Amanatidis meets with a delegation from the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association

Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis met at the Foreign Ministry with a delegation from the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA), headed by President Thomas Katsiantonis, State Representative of New Hampshire, USA.

The WHIA delegation included Peter Katsambanis, WHIA First Vice President and Member for North Metropolitan Region Parliament of Western Australia; Panagiota Merchant, B’ Vice President and Canadian Senator; Gerasimos Sklavounos, MNA for Laurier-Dorion, Quebec, Canada; Swedish MP Sotiris Delis; Philippe Kitsos, Deputy-Canton Neuchatel, Switzerland; Australian MP Steve Dimopoulos; State Representative for New York, USA, Nicole Malliotakis; and John Pandazopoulos, Honorary WHIA Secretary General and former MP for Victoria, Australia; as well as observers Efstathia Booras, State Representative, New Hampshire, USA, Theo Theophanous, former Industry and Trade Minister for Victoria, Australia, and Nicholas Kotsiras, former Energy and Multicultural Relations Minister for Victoria, Australia.

Amanatidis presented to the WHIA members the initiatives the government will be taking in the coming time to provide substantial solutions to current issues, to the benefit of overseas Greeks. Special reference was made to Amanatidis’ actions to strengthen the cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Armenia in the diaspora sector, including on the occasion of his recent trip to Nicosia.

Amanatidis asked the WHIA members to submit proposals in this direction and with regard to the bill that has been submitted on Greek-Language Education Abroad. Moreover, Amanatidis briefed the MPs on the Interior Minister’s commitment to setting up a cross-party committee on the manner in which Greeks residing abroad can participate in the election process, as pointed up within the framework of the passing of the new electoral law.

During the meeting, Amanatidis set out for the WHIA members the philosophy of the impending law on the restarting of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad. In this context, it was agreed that there would be a new meeting next week of the two sides, so that the WHIA members can take positions on all of the issues.