Members of the Board of Directors of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne & Victoria met with the Federal Minister for Immigration Tony Burke on August 23 and discussed matters concerning the Community and the Greek Diaspora.
The federal MP Maria Vamvakinou, the President of the Community Vasilis Papastergiadis, the member of the Board of Directors Giorgos Koletsis and the co-chair of the Advisory Committee of the Greek Cultural Center and Professor of the University of Melbourne Nikos Papastergiadis, attended the meeting.
Burke stated that he is impressed by the activities and work of the Community, while he pointed out that the Australian government is ready to sign the interstate agreement with Greece that will allow Greek visitors to work during their holidays in Australia (Work and Holiday Visa).
He congratulated the Community for the actions and efforts it makes in order to promote the Greek language and Greek civilization in Australia. He stated that he is particularly impressed by the innovations, the leading role and the modernization of the Community and especially with the creation of the Greek Cultural Center, pointing out that he will continue the collaboration with the successful function of it.
On the part of the Community, it was stressed that the function of a modern Cultural Center in the heart of Melbourne is an important step of progress for the Greek Community, a great contribution to the wider Australian multicultural total and a new point of reference for the Greek Diaspora.
“The Cultural Center will create a strong relation with Greece, with a primary role in the field of the Greek Diaspora worldwide,” Papastergiadis pointed out, adding that it will be connected with the current Greek centers in the USA and Europe. “Hellenism is a rich think-tank and a prospect for life that continues influencing and forming our modern way of thinking. The Cultural Center will derive from this story an attractive platform in a wide range of modern artists and intellectuals.”
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