PM Mitsotakis meets with Microsoft president Brad Smith in New York
ECONOMY /Thursday 23 September 2021, 21:03:08 / Last Update: 21:40 / Source: ANA-MPA

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Microsoft’s president and vice chair, Brad Smith. Mitsotakis is in New York to attend the 76th UN General Assembly.

The two had initially met at the World Economic Forum at Davos in January 2020 and discussed Microsoft’s project idea of a virtual walk through Ancient Olympia, where visitors could use their cellphones to recreate a sense of walking through the ancient precinct in antiquity. The project is ongoing, and may be completed within the year.

They also discussed Microsoft’s investments for Data Centers being set up in Attica. Physical work on the project will begin within the year, while the company’s Greek branch is hiring staff at a higher rate than any of its other offices globally.

Leaders of American Jewish organizations

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met earlier in New York with representatives of leading American Jewish organizations, with whom he discussed regional and international developments.

They also discussed the strategic relationship between Greece and Israel, and the trilateral collaboration of Greece, Israel and Cyprus.

Mitsotakis met with American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris, and discussed the 3+1 collaboration that includes the United States. They discussed further collaboration in sectors such as the environment and climate change.

During his meeting with AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) leader Betsy Korn, the Greek premier extended an invitation to her to visit Greece.

With all, he underlined that Greece is in the front line of efforts to fight antisemitism and to educate younger generations about the barbarity of the Nazis, especially as the country holds the rotating presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) since April.

Mitsotakis was scheduled to wrap up the day with a dinner in his honor by Greek community organizations.

Visit to Ground Zero cancelled

A scheduled visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Ground Zero in New York City on Friday will not take place, government sources said on Thursday.

A meeting with a management team of the Wall Street Journal has been added to the Greek premier’s schedule instead, it was added.

ELPIDOFOROS

The Greek Orthodox Archbishopric of America is to try το arrange an appointment with President Nicos Anastasiades after the latter called off a meeting with Archbishop Elpidoforos because he attended an event where the Turkish Cypriot leader was also present.

According to state broadcaster CyBC, the archbishopric would try to mend fences by trying to arrange an appointment within the coming days.

Anastasiades called off a meeting with Elpidoforos, scheduled for Wednesday, citing heavy schedule but credible reports said it was because the archbishop had attended the opening in New York on Monday of the Turkish House (Turkevi Center), by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the presence of Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.

Elpidoforos and Tatar are seen in a photo as among the people cutting a ribbon for the opening of the building that will house the Turkish permanent mission to the UN and the Turkish Consulate. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was also among them.

The archbishop’s move angered the Federation of Cypriot American Organisations that said in a statement it was disappointing and provoking while it was “not in line with the interests, principles and values of the Greek Cypriot community and Cyprus”.

Source: ANA-MPA