The proceedings of the trilateral meeting between Greece-Cyprus-Israel which focused on Diaspora issues and took place in Jerusalem concluded with a visit at the highest State level. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terence Quick and Cypriot Presidential Commissioner Fotis Fotiou were received by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, accompanied by Isaac Herzog, the head of the "Jewish Agency for Israel".
Greece, Cyprus, and Israel reached an agreement on the procedures to be followed regarding the young members of their respective Diasporas, following a decision taken last December at the Trilateral Summit Meeting held in Israel, with the participation of the Prime Ministers A. Tsipras and B. Netanyahu, and President N. Anastasiades. In this respect, it was decided that the first action, which will involve young people aged 25 to 35, be held in late August.
"Five young people from each Diaspora community will make a joint trip to Greece, Israel and Cyprus, spending three days in each country, so that they can experience for themselves the homelands of their parents or grandparents," Mr. Quick stated. "As far as Greece is concerned, we will bring over young people from the US, Canada, Australia, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. I shall ask for the selection to be made on the basis of specific criteria related to education and professional history; girls and boys who have already distinguished themselves or who show a great deal of promise in their chosen field of work."
The Heads of the diaspora organizations of the three countries also attended the trilateral meeting which was held in Jerusalem. The Greek representatives included Nikos Laryngakis (AHI), Nikos Pagonis (President of the Greater Montreal Area-Canada) and Phanos Pitiris (AHEPA - Supreme Governor of Europe).
Before their departure from Israel, Mr. Quick and Mr. Fotiou, together with members of their delegations, visited His Beatitude Theophilos III, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and then prayed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
February 27, 2019