Main opposition PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) leader Nikos Androulakis met with the president and members of the Greek Community's board of directors in Alexandria on Friday, continuing his official visit in Egypt.
"You are the first leader of the main opposition to visit our community, and this shows Greece's interest in standing by us and following our work," Greek Communitry president Andreas Vafiadis told the PASOK-KINAL leader. The latter responded that "no child in the world - whether of Greek descent or not - that wants to learn Greek must be denied that opportunity. Language is part of every people's DNA. We must utilize all new technologies. Following the economic crisis, we have a new generation of Greeks who live abroad, and we must guarantee that their children will be carriers of Greek learning."
Androulakis was given a tour of the Greek schools and nursing home. In subsequent statements he referred to the honor of meeting Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, "a man who has contributed very many things to Africa's children and to the Orthodox faithful in the entire continent.
The main opposition leader also underlined the need to resolve the status issue with St Catherine's Monastery at Mt Sinai, and called on the Egyptian government to respect its own file to UNESCO, for the monument's inclusion in the World Heritage List. "Our ties with the people of Egypt and with Alexandria are historical, and all these issues must be resolved with mutual respect and mutual understanding," he noted.