During his speech, on 26 February 2020, to the joint session of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs and Special Permanent Committee on Greeks Abroad, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Konstantinos Vlasis briefed the members of the Committees on the priorities that have been set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Greek diaspora issues, underscoring the climate of solidarity and consensus in the Committee on diaspora issues.
The Deputy Minister referred to the actions that have been carried out to date to digitize consular procedures for registrar acts, which will contribute to faster service for Greeks abroad and project the image of a modern, citizen-friendly state. Mr. Vlasis focused on the bill drafted recently by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has been submitted to the competent committee and is already being debated.
The Deputy Minister then referred to the issue of voting rights for diaspora Greeks, underscoring that it is a change a number of parties agreed upon and a good start. However, he pointed out the limitations that exist and that are creating concerns among a large number of diaspora Greeks.
Mr. Vlasis also referred to Greece’s trilateral cooperation on diaspora issues, with emphasis on youth and culture. The purpose of these cooperation mechanisms is to strengthen interpersonal relations and promote a positive agenda in the wider Southeastern Mediterranean. The Deputy Minister mentioned the existing Greece-Cyprus-Egypt and Greece-Cyprus-Israel platforms, and said the potential for extending cooperation to other countries with large diasporas is being considered.
Finally, Mr. Vlasis set out the actions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Secretariat General for Greeks Abroad aimed at promoting the Greek language, mapping the Greek diaspora, and recognising prominent members of the diaspora, making special mention of the programmes for hosting diaspora children, which are designed to familiarise the children with the Greek language and Greek history and culture.
February 26, 2020