On Tuesday, 21 July, Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain welcomed two distinguished guests to the Holy Archdiocese.
Archbishop Nikitas hosted Victor Negrescu, Vice President of the European Parliament, for breakfast at the Archdiocese. Joining the meeting were Ms Stefania Banu and Dr Petre Breazu.
During their discussions, Archbishop Nikitas presented the wide-ranging pastoral, educational and charitable work of the Holy Archdiocese. They also explored opportunities for future cooperation, particularly in addressing the complex challenges of human trafficking and modern slavery. His Eminence further highlighted the collaborative work undertaken with Dr Breazu and Ms Banu in tackling issues such as hate speech, discrimination, and other violations of human rights and human dignity.
As President of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), Archbishop Nikitas also spoke about the organisation’s ongoing work in promoting peace-building and fostering dialogue across Europe.
Later that day, Archbishop Nikitas welcomed Stephen Lillie, the newly appointed British Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic.
The Ambassador was received in the Archdiocesan Chapel, where he admired the beautiful iconography, with particular interest in the icons of the British Saints. Following the visit to the Chapel, His Eminence and His Excellency shared a traditional Greek meal and discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation and further deepen the longstanding ties between the United Kingdom and Greece.
The Archbishop and the Ambassador also discovered that they had both previously lived in Hong Kong SAR, sharing warm memories of the city and their respective experiences there. They expressed their hope of meeting again at the Greek–British Symposium, which will take place in Greece this October.
