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Ioannina, 15 January 2024

Speech by President of Hellenic Parliament at meeting of Governing Board of World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA) with representatives of Municipality of Ioannina and region

"We are here with the representatives of the Greek diaspora, we are here as a people, a nation, which neither conquers nor spreads, but disseminates. This dissemination (diapora in Greek) is deservedly represented by the present MPs, whom we welcome here, to our city, our Municipality, our thought and with the hope that the cooperation that we are establishing will be beneficial". With these words the President of the Parliament Constantine Tassoulas, welcomed at the City Hall of the city of Ioannina the members of the diaspora and MPs-members of the Governing Board of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association PADEE-WHIA at the meeting they had with representatives of the local government and institutions of Epirus.

The President of the Parliament stressed that the members of the diapora that have been elected to the legislative and state bodies of tens of countries abroad, about 100 in number, are "a multiplier of moral and practical power", since they are ambassadors and supporters of our national rights, and also bridges of friendship and cooperation between our country and the peoples they represent.

Moreover, as Mr Tassoulas pointed out, because this year about 60 elections will take place around the world, where more than 3 billion people are expected to vote, the number of Members of Parliament of Greek origin is expected to increase.

The aims of PADEE-WHIA are the promotion and propagation of the Greek Culture and the Greek language, as well as the cooperation with the Special Permanent Committee on Greeks Abroad of the Parliament on issues concerning Greece, Cyprus and Hellenism. Its members are actively involved in the campaign for the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures, the promotion of Greek products, Greek investments and tourism development.

The President of the Hellenic Parliament also referred to the "trials and tribulations of human rights of the national Greek minority in Albania" on the occasion of the participation of the Albanian MP and member of the Greek diaspora, Vangelis Doules, member of the Governing Board of PADEE-WHIA, and stressed that the "blatant violation of the concept of the rule of law in the neighbouring country" hinders its accession process in the European Union. He added that the forthcoming assumption of the presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe by a Greek MP, Mr Theodoros Roussopoulos, will further strengthen the assertion of the rights violated in the neighbouring country, " not in a biased, but a fully objective way".

 


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