Greece, Cyprus and Egypt want closer ties between their diaspora communities

Senior Foreign Ministry officials from Greece, Cyprus and Egypt held a meeting in Athens on Thursday to discuss how to bring closer the diaspora of the three countries and promote cultural understanding.

Following their meeting, all three senior officials held a joint press conference to disclose their agenda. Greece was represented by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Konstantinos Vlassis, Cyprus by its Presidential Commissioner for Human Rights and for Overseas Cypriots Fotis Fotiou, and Egypt by Minister for Expatriates’ Affairs Nabila Makram.

The three representatives said they focused on youth and culture issues and agreed to continue the "Nostos" program, which takes place in different countries every year and brings together diaspora youth. The fourth Nostos will take place in Canada from end-September to early October.

Egypt’s Minister for Expatriates’ Affairs Nabila Makram, referred to the Global Youth Forum, held in Egypt this year, which included Greek and Cypriot youth participants, and noted the role of Nostos in strengthening ties among the three countries.

Also attending the press conference was former Foreign Affairs Yiannis Amanatidis, representing the Parliament's Special Permanent Committee on Greeks Abroad.

"The expansion of such ties helps in further promoting issues that are of high interest to us in the wider region, just as the collaboration among diasporas is reflected in the collaboration of the same peoples directly, in an unstable region that shows a growing need for such collaboration," he said.