Greek stakeholders, community members and other guests, such as Australian politicians Michael O’Brien and Steve Dimopoulos, gathered at a function held by the Greek Consulate in Melbourne to celebrate Greek Independence Day.
Guests of honour at the function were Greek Foreign Affairs Deputy Terens Quick, who is in Athens for the Nostos conference, and Greek Parliamentary Deputy George Varemenos.
Mr Varemenos spoke about the diachronic role of the diaspora, whereas Mr Quick referred to the Nostos summit with Cyprus and Egypt. Also present at the event were Commissioner for Overseas Cypriots Fotis Fotiou and Egypt’s Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram.
A moment of silence was held for Australian Archbishop Stylianos, who succumbed to cancer at 6pm this afternoon.
While the 150 guests attended the function, twenty protestors gathered outside the building to protest against the Greek government’s ratification of the Prespes Agreement.
They shouted words, like “traitors” however the atmosphere was not as tense as it had been during Sunday’s 24 March event at the Shrine of Remembrance.
