The President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine An. Tassoulas received the President of the American Hellenic Institute (AHI), Mr. Nick Larigakis and a group of Greek-American students in the framework of the 17th annual educational visit of diaspora students to Greece and Cyprus. The delegation was accompanied by Vice Admiral (retired) and President of the Athens Branch of the Hellenic American Institute, Mr. Vasileios Kyriazis.
Mr. Tassoulas spoke with the students and briefed them on foreign policy issues, focusing on Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue. This was preceded by a tour of the Presidential Palace and the Presidential Guard.
Mr. Tassoulas’ Greeting follows:
“It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Presidential Palace. The now well-established annual educational visit of diaspora students to Greece, coordinated by the Hellenic American Institute, is yet another proof of the close ties that our diaspora maintains with the homeland. I am certain that during your several-day visit, you had the opportunity to enrich your knowledge of your special homeland and to listen to the ideas and values that our country advocates in the world. At this point, I cannot but give credit to the President of the Hellenic American Institute, Mr. Larigakis, who, through these initiatives and thanks to his diverse work, ensures that the new generations of the diaspora do not forget their roots and are informed about Greek positions on critical foreign policy issues, as well as on issues related to Greek-American relations.
I would like to point out that the Greek State embraces Hellenism everywhere as an inseparable part of its national identity and wishes to be always close to you. It is clear, after all, that Greeks abroad is a valuable national capital, with an invaluable contribution to the historical development of our country. Although you live far from Greece, I am sure that you always have the land of your ancestors in your thoughts and in your heart.
Your two homelands, Greece and the United States, enjoy a strategic partnership based on common principles, with the decisive influence of the democratic values and philosophical ideas of ancient Greece in the formation of the American state being more than evident. In this context, your role in strengthening the Greek-American relationship is extremely important, as you serve as the vital bridge of friendship between the two peoples. In you, we see the worthy ambassadors of the ideals of our homeland and we look forward to your contribution in passing them on to future generations.”
