The Consulate General of Greece in Manchester was officially inaugurated on Tuesday, January 28, in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Giorgos Kotsiras, as well as numerous Greek and British officials and representatives of the Greek community in Manchester.
The Consulate General of Manchester has been staffed and operational for several months and covers the northern and central regions of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Giorgos Kotsiras, the Ambassador of Greece to the United Kingdom, Mr. Ioannis Tsaousis, and the Consul General in Manchester, Mr. Alexandros Ioannidis. The blessing was given by Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain.
In his address to those present, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Kotsiras emphasized that the establishment of the Consulate General of Manchester is part of the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide better services to Greeks in the United Kingdom and to deepen Greek-British relations. The operation of the Consulate General will serve a large number of citizens who will no longer have to travel to London for a number of consular services. The Deputy Minister underlined that strengthening ties with the Greek Diaspora is a national priority, as reflected in the Ministry’s Strategic Plan for the Greek Diaspora 2024-2027. In this context, particular emphasis is placed on improving consular services through the use of modern digital tools, while strengthening human resources and upgrading the infrastructure of Greek authorities abroad.
As part of the inauguration, an exhibition of historical documents on the Greek diplomatic presence in Manchester, curated by the Diplomatic and Historical Archives Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was presented.
The inauguration was honored by the presence of Professor George E. Holmes, representing the King of the United Kingdom, the British Ambassador to Greece, Matthew Lodge, the Mayor of Manchester, Paul Andrews, and the Mayor of Liverpool, Richard Kemp.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
