Greek officers from the delegation of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (ΓΕΕΘΑ) were welcomed by Archbishop Makarios of Australia at the Holy Archdiocese headquarters in Sydney on Friday.
The delegation, led by Vice-Admiral Christos Sasiakos, Deputy-Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, is in Australia to celebrate the 83rd anniversary of the Battle of Crete.
The team includes Captain Pavlos Angelopoulos from the Δ3 Directorate of International Relations, Captain Stylianos Mitsiotis from the Directorate of Public Relations, and Colonel Ioannis Fasianos, the Military Attaché of Greece in Canberra.
Upon arrival, the Greek officers were greeted by Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia and Chancellor Archimandrite Christophoros Krikelis.
After a tour of the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady, the delegation met with Archbishop Makarios and Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Yannis Mallikourtis.
Archbishop Makarios expressed gratitude to the Greek officers and to the Ministry of National Defence and the Government of Greece, for their ongoing support of the Greek community in Australia.
He highlighted the respect and admiration of expatriates for the Greek Armed Forces, acknowledging their role in safeguarding the homeland and their significant contributions to society during peacetime.
The Archbishop also informed the delegation about the activities of the Holy Archdiocese, noting the centenary celebration of the Orthodox Church in Australia and the upcoming Apostolic Visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in October.
The meeting concluded with an exchange of mutual wishes and the presentation of souvenir gifts from Archbishop Makarios to the members of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff delegation.
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