Venizelos addresses Greek-American community event in NY

Referring to foreign policy issues, he said "we implement a line which reflects our national interests" adding that "Greece has always been a pylon of stability."

On his meeting with the Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, he noted that it is "an opportunity to reiterate our common national line for the Cyprus issue" adding that "the same applies for the FYROM issue and the Greek-Turkish relations as well as our stance on the Western Balkans and Greece's position for all the regional and international crises."

Venizelos called on the Greeks of America to support the effort for the recovery of Greece's 'real economy'. Moreover he made a plea to the Greek American community not to reproduce the domestic political conflicts, to safeguard the national unity and to promote the national target along with Greece's name and its heavy cultural heritage.

"Greece is exiting the crisis after a long period of adjustment, recession and sacrifices of the Greek people," he said underling the "economic support" programmes of our European partners and the IMF as well as the fact that the country's stay in the eurozone has been secured.
He also referred to his meeting with the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon saying that "the positions he presented were very clear."

On his meeting with Archbishop of America Demetrios he said that they would discuss "the common initiatives that will bring us closer with other Christianic communities."

Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas, Foreign Ministry spokesman Constantinos Koutras, Foreign Ministry officials, Greece's envoy to Washington Christos Panagopoulos, Greece permanent representative to UN Michalis Spinellis, the General Consul in New York Giorgos Iliopoulos and other officials attended the event.