Greek President calls out to Greek diaspora

The President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos reached out to the Greek diaspora in a message for the Festive Season calling for unity and thanking them for their contribution to the homeland.

Pavlopoulos said the new year will find Greeks determined and united in their endeavours and carving out "the future that we deserve and befits us” and stressed that Greeks abroad have made an invaluable and long-lasting contribution to Greece's progress, especially during the long period of the deep crisis that still affected the country and Greek society, with immense repercussions for social cohesion and, above all, for young people.

“It is with great joy and deep emotion that I address you once again, the Greeks of the diaspora, on the occasion of the Christmas celebrations and New Year. These feelings are inspired by your indelible ties to your homeland ...We saw this in Greece during the current year, 2017, during which your contribution so that we can overcome this crisis once and for all, as quickly as possible, was not diminished at all but actually intensified.

“In the light of the above, I have one more reason to express Greece's gratitude, now that all the omens allow us to legitimately hope that, determined and united - as we are for all great and important and hence, national, issues - we will carve out, starting in 2018, the future that we deserve and befits us," the President underlined.

Pavlopoulos noted that despite the severe social and economic crisis, Greece has been a real pillar of democratic stability and security in the troubled and war-torn wider region.  A pillar, that manages and resolutely addresses the deadly risk of terrorist barbarity while also defending humanity, as in the critical refugee issue, he added.