The President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited the remote border island of Kinaros on Wednesday, where she met with its only inhabitant, Katerina Katsotourhi.
She was accompanied by the Deputy Minister of National Defense, Alkiviadis Stefanis.
"In a way, Kyra Rini symbolizes this year's Christmas," the President said referring to Katsotourhi as "courageous."
Katsotourhi was born on the island of Amorgos and went to Kinaros with her family when she was 3. She migrated to Darwin in Australia in 1970 before moving back to Greece, to Kalymnos, in 1985.
She returned to Kinaros with her husband in 2000. She has been living there alone since her husband died in 2013.
On her part, Katsotourhi joked that she has "been in quarantine for many years."
"This is what we are asked to be like, under these unique circumstances" in the pandemic, Sakellaropoulou added.
"Of course her own quarantine is magical. I am very happy that we are here today and we kept her a little company. And this is exactly the message we would like to give to everyone."
"Merry Christmas, from one end of Greece, to the Aegean. May we all be well and may you, especially Kyra Rini, be well and guard our island," the President concluded.
Before returning to Athens, Sakellaropoulou also visited the monument of the Fallen Naval Officers.
Kinaros
Located in the west of the islands of Leros and Amorgos, Kinaros is the second western-most island of the Dodecanese after Astypalea, and its coastline measures only 4.5 square kilometers.
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