With a wreath-laying ceremony at the Greece–New Zealand Friendship Monument, dedicated to the memory of the ANZACs who fell in Greece during World War II, Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Loverdos concluded his visit to Wellington.

The next stop for the Greek delegation in New Zealand over the weekend is Auckland, before travelling on to Brisbane.

According to a post by the Embassy of Greece in Australia, following his visit to Sydney, Loverdos was accompanied to New Zealand by Greek Ambassador Stavros Venizelos; Interior Ministry Secretaries-General Athanasios Balerbas and Dimitrios Karnavos; and Director-General for Citizenship Katerina Ouli.

The Honorary Consul of Greece in New Zealand, Georgios Neonakis, was also present at meetings with the Greek community.

The Friendship Monument, symbol of the enduring ties between the two nations, honours not only the New Zealanders who fought selflessly for Greece’s freedom but also the hundreds of Greeks who helped them, especially after the Battle of Crete.

During his stay in Wellington, the Deputy Minister, visibly moved, addressed members of the Greek diaspora in the presence of Metropolitan Myron of New Zealand and Exarch of Oceania. He outlined several initiatives currently under way to strengthen Greece’s connection with its overseas communities.

Earlier, Loverdos had met with the Metropolitan, as well as with the board and members of the Hellenic Community of Wellington.

He expressed his admiration for the small yet vibrant community, which, despite being so far from the homeland, manages to preserve its Greek identity. He assured attendees that the Greek state will do everything possible to support their efforts to keep Greece alive in New Zealand.

Before leaving for New Zealand, Loverdos concluded his Sydney visit as keynote speaker at a Business Sydney event, addressing over a hundred members of the Greek-Australian community and business leaders.

According to the Embassy, “the Deputy Minister underlined the Greek government’s determination to strengthen ties with the diaspora by removing restrictions on participation in national elections, simplifying procedures for obtaining Greek citizenship, reinforcing consular staffing, and actively promoting Greek language education.”

The event was attended by NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, Health and Workplace Safety Sophie Cotsis, Ambassador Venizelos, Greek Consul-General in Sydney Georgios Skemperis, and Secretaries-General Balerbas and Karnavos.

The Embassy expressed gratitude to Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou for hosting and to Dr Patricia Koromboki for moderating the lively discussion.

On social media, Loverdos described a “particularly moving moment” during his Sydney visit.

At an event organised by the Greek Consulate on civil registry and citizenship matters, under the message “Greece needs you! Strengthen your bond with the homeland. Become a Greek citizen” – he wrote:

“I had the honour of attending the oath ceremony of three new Greek citizens, Australians of Greek descent.

I read the oath myself, with pride and emotion, and warmly congratulated our new compatriots.

Greece grows stronger when the heart of the diaspora beats so powerfully. My heartfelt congratulations!”

Loverdos also posted a video excerpt from his speech, in which he emphasised:

“The homeland, Greece, is not just Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, the islands or the mountains.

Greece is the set of ideas that gave her birth:

Freedom, democracy, peace, knowledge, and rational thought, all born in Greece, our language and our Orthodoxy.

And you are Greece.

The oath they gave is sacred, to love the homeland and uphold the Constitution and laws of the Greek state.

When Greeks in Australia vote in our elections, Greece will recognise even more how much she needs you, and you will recognise how much you need Greece.

Thus, we will become even more united. Like a clenched fist.

And we must be united like a fist.

Because, truth be told, our national weakness, our national sport, is division.

Yet, every Greek I’ve met here in Australia—I can feel how deeply Greece lives in your hearts.

I’m very moved by that.

I feel you are even more Greek than many Greeks in Greece itself.

Greece loves and respects you. Do the same for her.”