Greek President Meets with Greek-American Students

Greek-American students who have been traveling to Greece and Cyprus met on Tuesday the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

Sakellaropoulou urged them “to promote the spirit of Greece in such a strong democracy in the world as the United States and to be the best ambassadors, strengthening the Greek-American friendship and the excellent relations between the two countries.”

The Greek President underlined that their visit to Greece this year coincides with the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution that led to the foundation of the modern Greek state and she stressed that it was an opportunity to realize what Greeks have achieved so far, but also an inspiration for creating the desired future for the country.

“The main and steadfast carrier of this great heritage is you, the numerous and active Greek community, especially its young people. I am sure that, returning to the USA, you will be the best ambassadors of Greece, strengthening the Greek-American friendship and the excellent relations between the two countries,” she added.

Greek-American students are “next generation of leaders”

The Greek-American students’ visit to Athens was organized by American Hellenic Institute Foundation. It was the 13th annual educational visit by the Foundation with students from across the United States.

“We are excited for the traditional return of our college student foreign policy trip for a thirteenth year as we slowly return to normal as we begin to put the pandemic behind us,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said.

“The AHI Foundation is proud once again to present this invaluable opportunity for the community’s next generation of leaders. The 2021 program promises to be beneficial for our participants as they are eager to learn about the foreign policy issues that are important to the Greek American community and United States interests in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“With developments in the region occurring at a rapid pace, they will be immersed from the get-go, starting with briefings in Washington to high-level meetings with government officials abroad,” Larigakis added.

During the two-week program in Greece and Cyprus, the students will receive firsthand experience about the foreign policy issues affecting Greece and Cyprus, their relations with the U.S., and the interests of the U.S. in the region.

There will be meetings or briefings with American embassies, officials from various ministries of each country, including Foreign Affairs and Defense; military officers and parliament members, religious leaders, think-tank organizations, and members of academia and the private sector.

In Greece, the students will also take a daytrip to visit Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay, Crete, where they will tour the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) and NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center (NMIOTC), as well as Salamis Naval Base, and receive briefings.