The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, is in Imbro today on Good Friday, where he will attend the Service of the Epitaph of Lament and the procession of the Epitaph at the Holy Church of Evangelistria Agridias, which will be officiated by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

“It is for me, as a representative of the Greek republic, a great joy and a great honor to be here today in Imbros”, noted the Foreign Minister upon his arrival on the island and his visit to the Holy Metropolis of Imbros and Tenedos, where he was received by the Metropolitan of Imbros and Tenedou Kyrillos.

“In the context of our possibilities, in the context of our forces, we will always have a place in our hearts for the Hellenism of Imbros. Also know that we will always support him”, he pointed out and added:

“After the extreme humiliation and the Crucifixion, there is always the Resurrection. I am happy that God deserved me to be here today with you.”

“It is a historic moment when the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece stands in front of the epitaph of Imvrou and embraces the dead Christ with the expectation of the certainty of the Resurrection”, said Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imvrou and Tenedou.

“This is how we live,” he pointed out. “It may be Good Friday most of the time, but the joy of the Resurrection is that which covers every pain, every bitterness, every difficulty and feeds us with life for continuity, for presence and march.”

The Metropolitan gave the Minister of Foreign Affairs a white rose from the Epitaph, but also from the garden of Imvros.

Meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

The Minister of Foreign Affairs also held a meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who goes to his birthplace, Imbro, during the Easter holiday once every 10 years.

“I express as an Imbrian, on behalf of all Imbrians and Tenedians, because we are inseparable and homoeopathic, I express on behalf of everyone our joy, our emotion, but also our gratitude to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, who, among the many and his heavy duties, he found the opportunity, the time and the willingness to make a visit to our country, even for a few hours, to strengthen the few remaining expatriate residents”, said the Ecumenical Patriarch at the beginning of the meeting

“I take the opportunity to praise his positive attitude towards Greek-Turkish. Just the day before yesterday we heard in his interview on ERT how interested and caring he is for the good neighborliness of Greeks and Turks”.

Afterwards, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will go to the village of Agioi Theodoroi, where he will visit the Kindergarten and the Primary School of Imvrou, while he will meet expatriate organizations and expatriates.

Then, he will go to the village of Agridia, where he will watch the Service of the Epitaph and the procession of the Epitaph to the Holy Church of Evangelistria Agridia, which will be officiated by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Finally, he will sit down to dinner with the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Metropolitan of Imbros and Tenedos, according to a relevant announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.