Washington’s support on the key issues concerning the course of Hellenism, it is expected that the Archbishop of America Elpidophoros during the meeting he will have on Wednesday with US President Joe Biden. The Archbishop will represent the Greek-American community at the official reception organized by the White House to celebrate the anniversary of Greek independence. Shortly before the joint statements, Mr. Elpidophoros will, as usual, have a one-on-one meeting with Joe Biden, where he will ask for support on a number of issues, which will cover the Aegean, Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

To APE-MPE’s question about the message he will send to President Biden, the Archbishop of America replied: “I will thank him in principle for the honor that the American government is doing once again, honoring the Greek Revolution and the Greek nation and culture us, but also our church, the Holy Archdiocese of America. And I will ask him to continue the American policy of always being on the side of not only the Greek issues in Greece, the Aegean, Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, but also to support our Ecumenical Patriarchate”.

The annual reception for the Day of Greek Independence returns to the White House in its established form after a three-year absence, as in 2020 it was postponed due to the onset of the pandemic. A digital event had been organized in 2021, while in 2022 it had been deemed appropriate to move it to May, given that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis would then make an official visit to the American capital.

As part of the celebration of the Greek Revolution, the State Department’s chief of protocol hosted a dinner Tuesday night in honor of America’s Archbishop at the White House presidential guest house (Blair House). The dinner was attended by American legislators, the ambassador of Greece to the USA, Alexandra Papadopoulou, the Cypriot ambassador, Marios Lysiotis, the ambassador of the United States to Greece, George Tsounis, as well as prominent members of the Greek-American community, such as Philip Christopher from the PSEKA organization, Eddie Zemenidis from HALC, Nick Laryngakis from AHI, and Dimitris Kokotas from AHEPA.

A common point in the statements of the American ambassador and all the legislators was that Greek-American relations are at a historically high level and that the two countries will continue to work for their further strengthening.

George Tsounis: Ambassador of the United States to Greece

“It is an honor to be here at the presidential guest house of the White House (Blair House) for a dinner in honor of the 202nd anniversary of Greek Independence. As we know, the government of the United States was founded on the principles and ideals established in Greece, democracy being the most important of them. Our two countries share a sacred responsibility to protect democracy. The relationship between the US and Greece has never been better and contributes to peace and stability in the region. Greece is clearly an indispensable ally of the United States and (the two countries) always act with principle and are always on the right side of history.”

Archbishop of America Elpidophoros

“The way in which the American president and the American government honor the Greek Revolution is another indication of the great importance that this superpower attaches to our Greece, to Greek interests and Greek issues. It is a great opportunity for Hellenism to show its unity, to show its self-righteousness and to align itself with the right side of history and to promote national issues but also to align itself with the right side of the world, with the free world , the world that promotes democracy, freedom and human rights.”

MP Chris Papas: Co-Chairman of the Hellenic Caucus in the House of Representatives

“This day is always a wonderful opportunity to commemorate Greece’s struggle for independence after hundreds of years of Ottoman Turkish rule. And I think what this day shows is that democracy can prevail. We can move forward and fight for our values. And that is what underpins our strong relationship between the United States and Greece. It is our shared values, our appreciation for Greek heritage and culture and the Orthodox religion. And we want to make sure that the United States continues to stand side by side with Greece as we continue to move forward. Happy birthday, happy 202nd anniversary of Greek Independence Day and we look forward to many more such celebrations in the future.”

Senator Chris Van Hollen

“It is wonderful to be here to celebrate Greek Independence Day with the Archbishop of America (Elpidophoros) and other guests, including the Ambassador of Greece (Alexandra Papadopoulou) and the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus (Mario Lysiotis). This is a celebration of freedom and democracy. And right now the relationship between the United States and Greece is stronger than ever. We celebrate our shared values ​​and look forward to continuing the cooperation with Greece.”

MP Nicole Malliotaki

“We are here to celebrate Greek Independence Day. This is my first time visiting Blair House. It’s a beautiful place, where foreign heads of state are hosted when they visit (Washington). It’s a great opportunity to see some of the leaders of the Greek-American community, as well as our ambassadors, both to and from Greece, gathered here as we celebrate 202 years of Greek independence.”

Mike Emanuel: Chief Washington Correspondent and Anchor for Fox Television Network

“It’s a blessing to be here because it’s the Irish community and the Greek community in the US that have the opportunity to celebrate their national day at the White House. So it makes all of us as Greek Americans very proud to see our origins and heritage celebrated in the home of American politics. I had the opportunity to cover the White House during the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. And as a grandson of immigrants, being in the White House and covering American politics is such a blessing. So I feel proud and happy to be here today.”