The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Konstantinos Vlasis, met today at his office with the Ambassadors of China, Germany and Australia, Zhang Qiyue, Ernst Reichel and Arthur Spyrou, respectively.
Ambassador Zhang Qiyue initially expressed gratitude for the letters of support sent by the President of the Republic, Mr Pavlopoulos, and the Prime Minister, Mr Mitsotakis, regarding the efforts to combat the coronavirus issue. She also referred to the Prime Minister’s official visit to Beijing, scheduled for April, in the context of Greece’s participation in the ‘17+1’ initiative. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, in turn, characterised the two countries’ bilateral relations as excellent, underlining the introduction of direct flights between Athens and Beijing and the scheduled opening of the Consulate General in Chengdu.
The German Ambassador stressed the excellent level of bilateral relations and referred to the initiative to found a Greek-German Youth Office modelled on the corresponding offices between Germany and other countries. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs referred to the large Greek community in Germany, cooperation with Greek community schools, and briefed Mr Reichel on the legislation concerning the voting rights of diaspora Greeks.
Finally, the Australian Ambassador underlined the excellent level of bilateral relations and praised the social and economic contribution of Greeks to his country, while the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs briefed him on his impending trip to Australia in March, where he will meet with Archbishop Makarios, representatives of diaspora organisations, academics and entrepreneurs.
February 20, 2020