Athens, 10 February 2021

Meeting of Bureau of Committee on Greeks Abroad with Vice-President of World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association

 

Cooperation between the Hellenic Parliament and the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA), in the framework of the celebrations for the bicentennial of the Revolution of 1821, was at the centre of the meeting held between the Chairman of the Special Permanent Committee on Greeks Abroad, Savvas Anastasiadis and the 1st Vice-Chair, Andreas Michailidis, with the Vice-President of the WHIA, US Senator Leonidas Raptakis. 

The discussion focused on organisational issues pertaining to the WHIA conference in Athens, which is scheduled to take place on the last week of July 2021, should developments vis-à-vis the pandemic allow members to attend in person. 

Senator Raptakis stressed that the WHIA is being very active in the US trying to urge legislatures in all 50 states, but also Congress to participate in the celebrations for the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution, with an emphasis on the American philhellenic movement that developed at the time, allowing also modern-day Americans to acquaint themselves with the recent history of the Greek state. 

On the sidelines of the meeting, Senator Raptakis provided a briefing on the participation of Greek Americans in US politics, noting that after the recent elections 43 representatives of the Greek Diaspora, first, second and third generation, are occupying high level political positions, both in the Senate and the House of Representatives, but also in state legislatures.  

The WHIA was established in 1996 at the initiative of the Greek government and is an organisation comprising incumbent and former members of legislative bodies from other countries, who are of Greek origin. 

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