The Commissioner of the Cyprus Presidency, Fotis Fotiou, had a meeting with Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa, on September 7 in Nicosia.
During the meeting, issues related to the Greek Orthodox Churches and Monasteries abroad under the Patriarchate of Alexandria were discussed, as well as problems they face.
Then, issues related to the Expatriates and possible actions and events with the organized ensembles of our Diaspora were discussed, in which the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa can contribute to the effort made to keep the expatriate Hellenism in its roots, traditions, and culture.
Fotiou stated that the support of the Patriarchate and the Patriarch himself in dealing with the problems faced by our Expatriates is crucial and thanked him for that.
Reference was also made to the NOSTOS Tripartite Program since NOSTOS IV was recently held with the participation of young people from Cyprus, Greece, and Egypt. During their visit to Egypt, the young people had the opportunity to meet the Patriarch at the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
The Commissioner assured the Patriarch of the continued support of the Cypriot Government to the Patriarchate, but also of the difficult work he and the Patriarchate are carrying out in African countries that face many problems, especially where there are organized groups of our Expatriates.
For his part, the Patriarch thanked the President of the Republic, the Commissioner for the Presidency, and the Government for their continued support of the work of the Patriarchate and especially for the great work being done in Geri, where the main goal is to help the thousands of repatriates from Africa amounting to 35 thousand.
He also thanked the President of the Republic for his contribution to the decision of the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, to provide a space for the construction of a cultural center in Cairo. This center will be a reference point for Hellenes Abroad and not only, but also an important tool for learning the Greek language, history, traditions, and our culture.
Source: Cyprus Press and Information Office
