Greek President Karolos Papoulias and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou received a delegation of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) on its annual visit to Greece and Cyprus in early April.
During the Athens leg, the leadership of the AHEPA family, comprised of Supreme President Nicholas A. Karacostas, Daughters of Penelope Grand President Christine Constantine, Maids of Athena Grand President Kiki Amanatidis, AHEPA Canadian President Nick Aroutzidis, and Executive Director Basil Mossaidis, also met with the president of the Hellenic Parliament Phillipos Petsalnikos.
In a first for AHEPA, Supreme President Karacostas addressed the Hellenic Parliament’s Special Committee on Greeks Abroad, which was attended by several members of Parliament led by Committee Chairman Ilias Karanikas and Secretary of the Committee Spyridon-Adonis Georgiadis. The supreme president provided an overview of AHEPA’s role in the community and how the organization has served as trusted bridge between the United States and Greece, the state of the Greek American community, and programs of mutual cooperation to benefit the diaspora. In addition, the nine-member delegation received a briefing on U.S.-Greece relations from American Ambassador to Greece Daniel B. Smith at the American Embassy.
“We have been extremely well-received in Athens,” said Supreme President Nicholas A. Karacostas. “We are grateful to all parties that helped to make this leg of our excursion a fruitful and productive one. We look forward to continuing our work together to further enhance and strengthen relations between the United States, Canada, and Greece.”
The delegation concluded its Athens leg with a roof-top reception hosted by the University of Indianapolis, Athens Campus. The university is AHEPA’s partner for its successful Journey to Greece program for college students.