The Greek-American Working to Bring Joe Biden Back to Greece

Greek-American Nicholas Logothetis, Co-Founder and Chairman of Concordia and executive board member at the Libra Group, says he will extend an invitation to President Biden to visit Greece.

Logothetis was instrumental in bringing President Biden to Greece in 2017 to participate in the inaugural Concordia Europe Summit in Athens.

The then-VP had the opportunity to meet both government and opposition politicians. He also met Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, with whom he developed a strong bond.

“I think it was a very important visit, I believe it was his first trip outside of the country after he left the White House as VP,” Logothetis told Greek Reporter.

“We also had, during that time, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who was at the same event, so they have a close relationship, and I know they both enjoy very much spending time together.”

Logothetis, who founded Concordia, along with business partner Matthew Swift, says that he wants to bring Biden back to Greece in the next four years.

“He’s got his hands full at the moment, with everything that’s going on, but we’ll look forward to inviting him back to Athens at some point during the next four years, for sure,” Logothetis said.

He has been in a close working relationship with President Biden and his team. He says he was honored to host Biden three times at Concordia, once in 2015 as VP in NY, once in June 2017 in Athens, and most recently in 2018 in Colombia for the Americas Summit.

“We have a very good and cooperative relationship with him and with his team, and look forward to expanding upon that once he’s in the White House.”

Biden is empathetic

Logothetis says that Biden is a very special character.

“He’s very empathetic, you feel like he really cares about you. He meets so many people everyday, he knows so many people, but when he’s with you, he’s really listening to you and he has great amounts of insight … He is all around just a fantastic leader and a fantastic person, someone to look up to,” Logothetis told Greek Reporter.

He notes that Biden’s affinity and close relationship with Greek-Americans goes back for many years, from the beginning of his political career in Delaware.

“In Delaware, the Greek community has always been very supportive of him, and when he was a senator, and when he was VP, he was attentive to the Greek issues and focused on them in a way that I think previous leaders have not.

“He has known many leaders in the community for many decades and that is something that is unique for an incoming president in the US for the Greek issues and the Cypriot issues,” Logothetis says.

Athens Concordia summit

With over 700 participants, 36 speakers and conversations leads, and 11 current and former Heads of State and Government, the Athens Concordia summit was a highlight of the 2017 political agenda.

The summit focused on Europe at a time of many challenges. From the impacts of the mounting refugee crisis to the rise of populist parties and the decision made by the people of Britain to leave the European Union.

Joe Biden spoke passionately about Greece as a strategic partner for Europe and the United States.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that the Greek people have shaped my consciousness, the Greek community in which I received my early political baptism, the Greek community around the world, and throughout my Senate career, and as VP, I’ve always believed that a strong Greece, firmly anchored in Europe, is critical to the long-term security and stability of my country, the US,” Biden had said.

He added that “Greece has stood with the US as a critical partner here in Europe, as an ally in NATO, one that has always invested in our common defense. Greece and the US have fought shoulder-to-shoulder in every conflict in the past century: from WW1 to our ongoing campaign to wipe out the pernicious threat of ISIS.

“Greek unity, Greece’s growth, independence, economic security, are vital, vital to this part of the world, and vital to the US.

“You are the linchpin to everything else that’s going to happen, and I promise you that the vast majority of both political parties stand with Greece.”