LAST UPDATE: 19:04
Archbishop Elpidopohros of America met today Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiadis. Yesterday, the Archbishop also met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the offices of the Permanent Representation of Greece to the United Nations.
The 20-minute meeting was held in the residence of the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations.
After the meeting, the Cypriot president stated that “what matters the most is the unity of Hellenism. Consequently, following the explanatory statements, or the Archbishop’s apology, I feel that the matter is closed.”
Specifically, the Archbishop posted on social media: “I was pleased to meet with the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiadis, to reaffirm our deep commitments to the unity of the Church and Hellenism, in Greece, Cyprus and our communities around the world.”
I was pleased to meet with the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic @kmitsotakis and the President of the Republic of Cyprus @anastasiadescy to reaffirm our deep commitments to the unity of the Church and Hellenism, in Greece, Cyprus and our communities around the world. pic.twitter.com/wj5YDmi7f1
— Elpidophoros (@Elpidophoros) September 25, 2021
It is reminded that the meeting was announced by President Anastasiadis during his speech at the dinner hosted in his honor by the Federation of Cypriot American Organizations in New York.
As reported by ANA-MPA, referring to the incident with the Archbishop of America, the president of Cyprus noted, among other things, that “in recent days we have experienced some moments of bitterness because no one can invoke his own pain he forgets that some others also became refugees by those who turned his own family into refugees.”
He also pointed out that “I do not want any problem to be created with the diaspora community because the head of the Church in the USA has a role to play.”
He assured that “despite the bitterness and wanting to feel that we are all united we should delete what happened, there was an explanation, I want to believe that the mistake was recognized tomorrow (editor’s note: today Saturday) and I will convey to the Archbishop the bitterness and the frustration that has been caused.”
Meeting of Archbishop Elpidophoros and Greek PM: “Inseparable relationship of Greece with the Archdiocese of America”
During the meeting, issues of the Greek Diaspora and ways of cooperation for the better support of the work of the Archdiocese of America were discussed.
The Archbishop presented to the prime minister the timetable for the full reopening of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Archbishop Elpidophoros also discussed issues of the Greek community all over the world and reaffirmed the close, historical ties of mutual trust and cooperation between the Archdiocese and its flock with the homeland.
Following the meeting, a top government source said: “The issue is over. What matters is the unity of Greek community, the inseparable relationship of Greece with the Archdiocese of America and the close relations of the Archdiocese with its flock.”