The Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, accompanied by federal Liberal MP Nickolas Varvaris, announced the forming of a Parliamentary Friendship Group between Australia and Greece.
Bishop announced the establishment of the Australia-Greece Parliamentary Group, which will be chaired by Varvaris. The group aims to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries. Furthermore, the vice chairman of this group will be the Greek-Australian Labour Party MP, Maria Vamvakinou.
The Australia-Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group will be chaired by Nickolas Varvaris and will consist of 32 federal government and opposition MPs.
Meanwhile, Varvaris stressed that: “This announcement marks a renewed effort to strengthen relations between the parliaments of Greece and Australia and through this cooperation we will strengthen the relations between the two friendly peoples of Greece and Australia. Moreover, it is a distinction of the long-term Greek presence in this region with about 20,000 inhabitants of Greek origin, with deep appreciation for Greek culture.
Australia is a strong democratic state and as a nation we have a debt to the culture that gave birth to democracy: the Greek culture. This is just one example of the common values that bind our two nations together. This Parliamentary Group, part of the Parliamentary Network Australia-South Europe, will strengthen the role of the United Nations in our region.
“I commit to creating an effective cooperation and contacts with Greek parliamentarians, drawing from my Greek heritage and the language of my parents,” added Varvaris.
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