ATHENS –
President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine Tassoulas met on July 22 with the Board of Directors of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA), led by its president, Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas Raptakis.
“We maintain close ties with Greeks who have distinguished themselves in public life in their adopted countries. We are proud of them and work together with them to promote Greece’s national interests in all their dimensions in the countries where they have prospered. This includes advocating for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures and supporting the Cypriot cause for the reunification of the island,” Tassoulas said.
Raptakis thanked President Tassoulas for the warm welcome and said that the board comprises elected politicians of Greek descent serving in the parliaments of countries including France, Ukraine, Australia, Kenya, the United States, and Canada.
He emphasised the importance of strengthening ties between the countries where they have been elected, the Greek diaspora, and the people of Greece, stating that they would do everything within their power to achieve this. He also said that the situation in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean was dangerous and noted that they could convey a strong message to their non-Greek parliamentary colleagues in support of Greece. He added that, 52 years after Türkiye’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus, there remained an obligation to resolve the Cyprus issue.
