Athens, 15 January 2024

Meeting of PADEE-WHIA Governing Board with Regional Governor of Epirus in presence of President of Hellenic Parliament

The Governing Board of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association PADEE-WHIA, which is meeting in Ioannina, had a meeting today with the Regional Governor of Epirus, Mr Alexandros Kachrimanis, in the presence of the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr Constantine Tassoulas.   

Mr Tassoulas made reference to the important work of PADEE-WHIA underlining that "it is an organisation that counters the age-old wound of Hellenism, the discord, it unites worldwide parliamentarians, women and men, representatives of the Greek Diaspora abroad that have been elected to legislative or state bodies in their home country".  As he stressed, during their contacts on their regular trips to Greece, the members of PADEE-WHIA "are being informed about all the current Greek positions, because then they become the ambassadors of Greek positions and Greek objectives abroad. So they strengthen and multiply the voice of Greece".

The President of the Parliament noted that "the new governing board, elected in July 2023, with elections held within the Hellenic Parliament, decided in the context of providing more information and interaction, to visit Epirus, to visit Ioannina, so that with their on-site knowledge concerning the issues of Epirus, its prospects and its potential, to be able in their own lands, with their influence and their love, to contribute to our own goals. In addition to being ambassadors of Greece, we should also make them ambassadors of Epirus and ambassadors of Ioannina in the whole world".

In his turn, the Regional Governor of Epirus welcomed the members of PADEE-WHIA "in a place that is striving, that changes every day for the better". Mr Kachrimanis made reference to the rich historical and cultural past of Epirus, as well as the potential for growth of the wider region.  He also called on the members of PADEE-WHIA to support -in the countries where they are elected all over the world- the efforts for the ongoing development of Epirus.   

The President of PADEE-WHIA Mr Leonidas Raptakis expressed his great pleasure for the presence of the Association in Ioannina, giving special emphasis on the great prospects of promoting the region globally through new business, tourism and cultural investments.

The members of the PADEE-WHIA Governing Board who participated in the meeting were: Leonidas Raptakis, PADEE-WHIA President and Rhode Island Senator (USA), Effie Triantafilopoulos, 1st PADEE-WHIA Vice-President and Toronto MP (Canada), Steve Georganas, 2nd PADEE-WHIA Vice-President and Australian MP, Annie Koutrakis, MP of the Parliament of Quebec (Canada), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and a member of the parliamentary committee on Transport and Infrastucture, Stephan Pappas, Wyoming State Senator (USA) and Nikos Kouris, MP for Saranda (Albania).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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